In the midst of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group, which has tragically resulted in the loss of lives on both sides, India Today TV conducted an interview with a Palestinian fighter affiliated with the Fatah group in Lebanon. Fatah holds sway over a significant portion of the strategically vital West Bank in Palestine, and its primary mission remains the liberation of Palestine and the defeat of Israel.
During the conversation with India Today TV, Abu Ali Wazir expressed a belief based on religious conviction, asserting that, as per the Quran, the year 2023 will symbolize the culmination of Israel's existence. He went on to suggest that Middle Eastern nations would coalesce and, in his words, "bring an end to Israel, along with the United States."
Wazir contended that Israel's preparation for a potential ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, hinted at their own peril, essentially implying that such actions could lead to their downfall. Israel had earlier urged the evacuation of over a million Gaza residents within a 24-hour window, while Hamas countered by advising Gazans to remain in place within the Strip.
The Fatah group, whose name translates to "to conquer," originated in Kuwait in the late 1950s and was founded by several key figures, most notably Yasser Arafat, the former president of the Palestinian Authority, and his associates, including Mahmoud Abbas, the current president of the Authority. During the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Fatah emerged as the predominant faction within the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), established in 1964 with the objective of securing Palestine's liberation.
In the 1990s, the Fatah-led PLO officially renounced armed resistance and endorsed United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, which advocated the establishment of a Palestinian state encompassing the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, alongside an independent Israeli state. Subsequently, the PLO entered into the Oslo Accords, facilitating the formation of the Palestinian Authority.
Following their loss to Hamas in the 2006 elections, Fatah ceded control of the Gaza Strip to the latter group. However, a significant portion of the West Bank continues to be under Fatah's governance, as reported by Al Jazeera.
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