by WorldTribune Staff, November 8, 2024 Contract With Our Readers
Following the election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United Stats, Hamas leadership says it wants an "immediate" end to its war with Israel.
Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson Basem Naim told Newsweek: "Palestinians look forward to an immediate cessation of the aggression against our people, especially in Gaza, and look for assistance in achieving their legitimate rights of freedom, independence, and the establishment of their independent self-sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital."
During the campaign, Trump said he wants the war in Gaza to end by his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025.
An Israeli official told Newsweek that "maintaining and building upon the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel has been a bipartisan feature of American politics since the founding of the Jewish state."
"We have no doubt that this will continue to be the case," the Israeli official said. "Going forward, we look forward to a strong working relationship with his administration to bring about a more peaceful, secure and prosperous Middle East."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first world leader to congratulate Trump on what was described as "history's greatest comeback."
"Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful re-commitment to the great alliance between Israel and America," Netanyahu said in a statement on Wednesday.
Netanyahu later spoke with Trump. The conversation was described by the Israeli side as a "warm and cordial" exchange in which the two "agreed to work together for Israel's security, and also discussed the Iranian threat."
The Hamas spokesperson said: "The blind support for the Zionist entity 'Israel' and its fascist government, at the expense of the future of our people and the security and stability of the region, must stop immediately."
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Hamas also called for an end to Israel's military campaign against the Hizbullah terror organization in Lebanon and for the U.S. to "stop providing military support and political cover to the Zionist entity, and to recognize the legitimate rights of our people."
"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," the statement said, "rejecting the occupation and genocide, and objecting to support and bias toward the Zionist entity."
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Hizbullah launched a rocket attack which targeted the Golan Heights community known as Trump Heights on Wednesday. The attack came shortly after the U.S. election results were announced.
Several other communities, including Snir, Sha’al, and Matzok Orvim, were also under alert.
Sirens were also sounded across central Israeli communities including Tel Aviv, Netanya, Ramat Gan, Herzliya and others. Alarms also sounded in cities located in the Upper Galilee region and Nahariya.
Shrapnel was reported to have fallen in an open space near Ben Gurion airport.
