Hamas has responded to Donald Trump’s election triumph, indicating that its stance towards the new US leadership will hinge on his approach to Palestinian interests.
Trump clinched victories in key battleground states, securing his place back in the Oval Office, with global figures such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extending their congratulations.
In a bold statement, Hamas outlined five key demands for Trump, including a call to “end the blind bias toward the Zionist occupation”.
The group said: “Our position on the new American administration depends on its positions and practical behaviour toward our Palestinian people, their legitimate rights, and their just cause.”
The organisation also expressed its aspiration for an “independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital”.
This comes after Trump’s contentious move in 2018 to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the subsequent relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Hamas criticised the historical stance of US administrations: “All successive American administrations have had negative positions on the Palestinian issue, and have always been the biggest supporter of the Zionist occupation in all fields and aspects.
“We demand an end to the blind bias toward the Zionist occupation, and serious and real work to stop the war of extermination and aggression against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.”
The group also called to stop aggressive actions in Lebanon and urged America to “stop providing military support and political cover to the Zionist entity, and to recognise the legitimate rights of our people”.
Hamas added: “The American president-elect is required to listen to the voices that have been raised from American society itself for more than a year regarding the Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip, rejecting the occupation and genocide, and objecting to support and bias toward the Zionist entity.”
Throughout his 2024 election campaign, Trump maintained he would end numerous wars globally, particularly in the Middle East.
The president-elect, during his campaign trail, had levelled some critiques at Israel, claiming it’s “losing the PR war” due to the images emerging from Gaza.
Upon Trump’s confirmed win on Wednesday, Netanyahu took to X declaring: “Dear Donald and Melania Trump, Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!
“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory! In true friendship, yours, Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu.”
