Yousef’s statement is the first time that Hamas has commented on Australia’s decision to recognise Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said that “Albanese should hang his head in shame after being praised today by the terrorist group Hamas for his decision to recognise a Palestinian state”.
“Mr Albanese has emboldened a terror group who murder civilians in cold blood and still hold 50 Israeli hostages in tunnels under Gaza,” she said.
“All Australians should be appalled at the massive propaganda victory Mr Albanese has handed Hamas on a platter.
“This is a sad day for our nation.”
Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1200 people, including the massacre of young people at the Nova music festival and elderly residents and children living in kibbutzes near the Gaza border. It was the worst mass murder of Jews in a single day since the Holocaust.
Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, also took around 250 people hostage, dozens of whom are believed to have died in captivity during the war in Gaza. The incursion sparked a ferocious military response from Israel that has extended for almost two years and killed over 60,000 Palestinians.
Australia listed Hamas, which has launched rocket attacks into Israel and carried out suicide bombings, as a terror organisation in 2022, joining the United States, United Kingdom and other countries.
Asked whether Hamas believed its commitment to violence had encouraged countries like Australia to recognise Palestine, Yousef said: “Yes, we believe that the escalation of armed resistance, including the operations carried out on October 7, has significantly contributed to highlighting the suffering of the Palestinian people and the injustice they face.
“These operations have drawn global attention to the Palestinian cause and compelled many countries and organisations to reconsider their positions, leading to greater support and recognition of Palestine as a state by some countries.
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“Resistance has proven to be an effective means to break the siege and bring the Palestinian cause back to the international discussion table.”
Yousef’s comments echo those of fellow Hamas official Ghazi Hamad, who last week said the wave of Western nations moving to recognise a Palestinian state was the result of “the fruits” of Hamas’ October 7 massacre.
Hamas stated on August 2 that it would not disarm until a sovereign Palestinian state is created with its capital in Jerusalem, contradicting statements by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff that Hamas was prepared to demilitarise to end the war in Gaza.
Albanese told Channel Nine’s Today: “I’ve seen some of the comments that have been made about Hamas somehow being rewarded. Hamas is opposed to two states. This is the opposite of what Hamas wants.”
However, Yousef celebrated Australia’s recognition announcement, saying that “such decisions strengthen our people’s hope of achieving their dream of freedom, independence, and the establishment of their own state with Jerusalem as its capital”.
A government spokesperson said: “What Australia has done is contribute international momentum towards a two-state solution, which Hamas opposes.
“We are supporting the Arab League’s efforts to isolate Hamas.”
A declaration by 22 Arab nations issued last month called for Hamas to lay down its weapons, release all remaining Israeli hostages and end its rule of the Gaza Strip in a major rebuke of the organisation.
The government spokesperson said Hamas “always tries to manipulate facts for their own propaganda” and that media outlets “have a responsibility to make professional judgments to not promote propaganda of terrorist organisations to get cynical headlines”.
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Albanese has said an important factor in his recognition decision was Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ commitment to hold elections soon and “the isolation and opposition to Hamas playing any role in a future Palestinian state”.
Yousef, who was elected to the Palestinian parliament for Hamas in 2006, said the group would not consider any Palestinian elections legitimate unless it was included in the process.
“We believe that elections must be inclusive of all Palestinian factions, and excluding Hamas means sidelining a large segment of Palestinians,” he said.
“Only through free and fair elections in which everyone participates can the true legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority be achieved.”
Yousef has been repeatedly arrested by Israel and accused of incitement, spending long stretches in jail without facing trial. One of his sons, Mosab Hassan Yousef, worked as a spy for Israel’s internal security agency before relocating to the US, where he has become a prominent critic of Hamas.
Hamas scored a major victory in the most recent Palestinian elections of 2006, winning 74 of 132 parliamentary seats and significantly outperforming Abbas’ more moderate Fatah party.
Recent polling shows Hamas remains the most popular faction among Palestinians despite the devastation of the war in Gaza.
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