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Palestinian National Council member and former ambassador to India Osama Al-Ali said in a January 3, 2024, show on Al-Arabiya Network (Saudi Arabia) that Hamas should release the Israeli hostages and get this war "over with." He criticized Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh for calling for continued steadfastness in face of the slaughter of the people of Gaza, while he is safe in Qatar. Al-Ali said that if this is the price, he does not want to take all of Palestine back. He continued to say that even the prisoners do not want to be released and prefer to have the slaughter stopped. He added that he likes the current Israeli government and that he wants it to stay because it "reveals the ugly face of Israel," that it is the Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood of Israel, and that it will lead to the destruction of the country.
Osama Al-Ali: "My personal opinion is that [Hamas] should release the [Israeli] hostages, and the slaughter of the people of Gaza will end. Our brother [Haniyeh] is all happy and carefree in Qatar, and says: 'I refuse to negotiate, I refuse this, I refuse that…' All this while people are being slaughtered every day. People are dying. He cannot say, 'I refuse.' Give them back those 50-100 people, and let's get this over with.
"By the way, Palestine, Jerusalem, and my city of Jaffa—I would not take them back if this is the price. I don't want them, if this is the price, and the price only goes higher. Are those 100 [Israeli hostages] worth all this slaughter? Two million people are dying. Where are we heading? All this for 100 [hostages] settlers? We don't want any [Palestinian] prisoners. These prisoners themselves are saying: 'Stop the killing. We don't want out [if this is the price].' This is what they are saying: 'Stop the slaughter in Gaza. We don't want out.'
"But Haniyeh is talking about 'steadfastness' from Qatar. He should come and be steadfast with the people of Gaza.
"I like this [Israeli] government. I want [it] to stay."
Interviewer: "Why?"
Al-Ali: "Because it reveals the ugly face of Israel. This is the government that will destroy Israel. I support it. This government is the Hamas of Israel. It is the Muslim Brotherhood of Israel.
"We were in the middle of the Oslo process. Why can't we complete it? The Israeli right and the Palestinian right are against this process. All the idiots are against it—all the people who have not read it and do not understand it."
Interviewer: "Mr. Ambassador, I would like to conclude the interview with statements by Hamas, who are saying that they do not regret the October 7 attack, and that Israel started the conflict."
Al-Ali: If Hamas does not regret the October 7 attack, what caused all that is happening in Gaza? October 7 did."
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