ROME, (Palestine Foundation Information Center) UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese defended the Hamas Movement as a political movement and highlighted its administrative authority in the Gaza Strip in an address earlier this week in Italy, shared on social media by UN Watch on Friday.
Albanese explained that many people do not have a clear and real understanding of what Hamas is, emphasizing that it is a political movement that won democratic elections.
“People continue to say ‘But Hamas, Hamas, Hamas’… I don’t think people have any idea what Hamas is. Hamas is a political force that won the elections in 2005, whether we like it or not. Those were called the most democratic elections,” she affirmed.
“Hamas built schools, public facilities, hospitals. It was simply the authority, the de facto authority,” she said.
“So it is critical that you understand, that when you think of Hamas, you should not necessarily think of cut-throats, people armed to the teeth, or fighters. It’s not like that,” she added.
