Labor says Hamas tries to ‘manipulate facts’ after terrorist group welcomes Australia’s Palestine recognition decision
Coalition says government has handed Hamas a ‘massive propaganda victory’, despite Albanese’s vow that terrorist group would be excluded from any future Palestinian state
The federal government has condemned Hamas for seeking to “manipulate facts for their own propaganda” after it was reported the terrorist group had welcomed Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state.
Anthony Albanese announced on Monday that Australia would recognise Palestine at the United Nations next month, joining more than 140 countries – about three-quarters of UN membership – who already recognise a Palestinian state.
The prime minister has said Hamas “will be excluded from the process” of a future Palestinian state. He also justified Australia’s decision to recognise Palestine by saying Hamas would be opposed to the move and a two-state solution, and said one of his pre-conditions for recognition was for a Palestinian state to be demilitarised and grant no governance role to Hamas.
Nine newspapers reported on Wednesday that the Hamas co-founder and senior official Sheikh Hassan Yousef welcomed Australia’s decision to recognise Palestine, praising Australia’s “political courage” and calling on other countries to “follow Australia’s example”......