Hamas Says Did Not Receive Proposals on Deal of Century Yet as Media Share New Details

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Palestinian Hamas movement has not received any proposals from the United States or other countries regarding the so-called deal of the century amid media reports suggesting the US peace plan provides for the establishment of a "New Palestine" state, deputy chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau Mousa Abu Marzook stated.

"The US government or any other country didn’t offer any proposal related to the deal of the century to Hamas", Abu Marzook said.

The Hamas official also slammed the US administration over attempting to implement the deal on the ground before presenting it on paper to the parties.

"Hamas and all the Palestinian factions reject the US plan as well as [US President Donald] Trump’s policy toward the Palestinian issue, and we will keep fight until we get our rights and freedom", he said.

The Lebanese Al Mayadeen TV channel has said that it obtained parts of the US peace plan’s draft, according to which a trilateral agreement is planned to be signed between Israel, Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Under the deal, a new state named "New Palestine" will be created in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, except for the territories already occupied by Israel. Jerusalem will be shared by Israel and "New Palestine".

According to Al Mayadeen, a project stipulating the establishment of a "New Palestine" state has already been approved by the United States, the European Union and Persian Gulf states. The countries are expected to allocate about $30 billion in the next five years for the creation of the new state. The plan also reportedly stipulates that Egypt would hand over lands to "New Palestine" for building an airport and factories, as well as other purposes, but without allowing Palestinians to live in them.

Only police will be allowed to bear arms in "New Palestine", and Israel will protect the new state against foreign aggression, provided that "New Palestine" pays Israel for such protection, documents obtained by Al Mayadeen show. Hamas will be fully disarmed, but its members will receive monthly salaries.

Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni militant organisation in control of the Gaza Strip, has been locked in a protracted on-and-off conflict with Israel, which continues to refuse to recognise the Palestinian Authority as an independent political and diplomatic entity.

Under Trump's administration, Washington recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and annexed Golan Heights as sovereign Israeli territory. In November, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington did not consider Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territories to be illegal, a statement which went against decades of international law and US policy in relation to the settlements.