Hazem Qassem, spokesman for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), said that remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about forming a new regional axis including Arab states amount to “blatant disregard” for Arab countries and pose a direct threat to their interests.
In a statement posted on Sunday, Qassem said Netanyahu’s talk of a new regional bloc, involving Arab nations, reflects a lack of respect for the region’s leading Arab powers and represents a real threat to their strategic interests.
He added that Israel, which he described as alien to the region and its history, seeks to lead regional alliances with US backing in order to advance its own interests, which he said are inherently at odds with those of Arab states.
Qassem also argued that such proposals are based on what he described as the weakness of the Arab system’s stance throughout the war on Gaza. He maintained that any regional arrangements that ignore Palestinian rights would not contribute to stability in the region.
READ: Netanyahu speaks of forming ‘alliance’ against ‘Sunni and Shia axes’ including Arab states
