Palestinian factions slam US draft resolution on Hamas

By Nour Abu Aisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian factions on Thursday decried a U.S.-sponsored draft resolution condemning Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

In a press conference held outside the UN headquarters in Gaza City, the factions slammed the draft resolution for "labeling the Palestinian resistance and struggle as terrorism".

"The draft resolution which is biased to the [Israeli] occupation aims at criminalizing the Palestinian resistance groups and stigmatizing them with practicing terrorism," Yousri Darwish, a Palestinian activist, told the conference.

He accused the U.S. administration of trying to label the Palestinian steadfastness with terrorism.

Darwish warned of "launching a new Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip," pointing out that the U.S. draft resolution – if adopted - would give the green light for the Israeli assault.

He went on to call on Arab and Islamic countries to rally support for the Palestinian cause.

The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA), for its part, called on member states of the UN General Assembly to vote against the U.S.-sponsored draft resolution, according to the official Wafa news agency.

In a statement, the PA said it was holding contacts with a group of Arab, Muslim and friendly countries to vote down the U.S. draft.

The UN General Assembly is expected to convene on Thursday to vote on the draft, which would -- if adopted -- “condemn” Hamas for “inciting violence” against Israel.