Satterfield: Hamas's humanitarian policy? it has none

• Published date: 23 April 2024
• Author: TOVAH LAZAROFF
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

"Hamas's humanitarian policy is the opposite of humanitarian. It is to use innocent civilians as shields, as presumed protection for their own facilities, for their own terrorist military forces," he said, as he appeared startled by the comparison

"The fundamental actor responsible for the suffering here is a terrorist group — Hamas," explained Satterfield, who is specifically tasked with humanitarian issues relating to Gaza.

"The fighting in Gaza, the suffering of the Palestinian people could end tonight, if Hamas chose to accept the deal for the release of hostages in the establishment of a cease-fire. And that ceasefire could with further releases be sustained.

Satterfield said that as someone who has been working for 40 years on Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli issues, it was clear to him that Hamas could have chosen to accept the principles of peace first laid under the Oslo Accords and then by the Quartet.

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