Hamas Leader to Arab World: "Even If You Normalize Relations with Israel..."

Haniye: "Normalization of Relations Is Not a Solution to the Conflict"
Foreign Media: "Saudi-Israel Negotiations May Be Threatened"

Amid over 100 deaths caused by a surprise attack by the Palestinian armed faction Hamas targeting Israel, the Hamas leader asserted to the Arab world that "normalization with Israel holds no practical benefit."

Ismail Haniyeh, the supreme leader of Hamas, said in a TV speech on the 7th (local time), "An entity (Israel) that cannot even protect itself from resistance forces cannot protect anyone," adding, "I inform my Arab brothers of this fact."

He continued, "All normalization agreements made with this entity cannot be a solution to the Palestinian conflict."

Haniyeh's remarks are analyzed as being mindful of the recent expansion of normalization between Israel and Arab countries.

In 2020, Israel normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Morocco through the Abraham Accords mediated by the United States. Since then, Israel has maintained comprehensive cooperation with these countries, especially strengthening security cooperation such as sharing defense systems including air defense networks.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

Recently, discussions on normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia, the Sunni Islamic powerhouse, and Israel have accelerated under the mediation of the U.S. Biden administration. Ahead of next year's presidential election, the Biden administration is putting considerable effort into establishing diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel as a diplomatic achievement.

At the end of September, Haim Katz, Israel's Minister of Tourism, made an official visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) event held in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. This was the first official visit by an Israeli minister-level official to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia demands U.S. security guarantees capable of countering Iran and support for industrial nuclear power development as conditions for establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. It is also known to present the launch of an independent Palestinian state as a prerequisite for normalization and demands concessions from Israel, which occupies Palestine.

Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, recently said in an interview with U.S. Fox News, "Saudi Arabia and Israel are getting closer," adding, "Good negotiations are underway so far."

Meanwhile, the U.S. daily The New York Times (NYT) observed that "the 'war situation' between Israel and Hamas could threaten the normalization talks between Saudi Arabia and Israel."

On the other hand, Haniyeh revealed intentions to escalate the conflict, stating, "Palestinian armed factions intend to expand the ongoing fight in the Gaza Strip to the West Bank and Jerusalem," and "The fight is now heading to the heart of the Zionist state."

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, has defined Hamas's recent airstrike as a war and has promised strong retaliation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.