Palestinians, locked in war with Israel for more than a year, expressed fear at Donald Trump’s return to the White House, while the leaders of the militant group Hamas and the Palestinian Authority urged him to act for peace.
In Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Abu Osama, who was displaced by relentless Israeli bombardment, called Trump’s election victory “a new catastrophe in Palestinian history.”
“Despite the destruction, death, and displacement we are witnessing, what lies ahead will be harder, it will be politically devastating,” said Abu Osama.
More than 43.300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza over more than a year of war, according to health authorities in the enclave, with large portions of the territory laid to waste.
The war began after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel on October 7th, killing approximately 1.200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli data.
United States (U.S.) efforts and those of Arab mediators from Qatar and Egypt have so far failed to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that would end the fighting and secure the release of Israeli and foreign hostages in Gaza, as well as Palestinians detained by Israel.
Hamas said the U.S. election was a matter for the U.S. people but it called for an end to the “blind support” for Israel from the U.S.
“We urge Trump to learn from Biden’s mistakes,” said Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri.
Abu Zuhri stated that Trump would be tested on his statements claiming he could end the war within hours of assuming the U.S. presidency.
The administration of President Joe Biden has provided Israel with unwavering diplomatic support and military aid, even as Secretary of State Antony Blinken worked on ceasefire proposals.
Trump’s future policies remain unclear, although he supported Israel in his previous term.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a Hamas rival, congratulated Trump on his election as president, saying he would work with the new administration to achieve regional peace.
“We remain committed to peace and are confident that the U.S., under your leadership, will support the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people,” Abbas stated.
Some Palestinians say they see little difference between the former president and current Vice President and defeated candidate Kamala Harris, but Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital during his first term showed a bias towards Israel.
“As Arabs and Palestinians, we will not be naive. We must treat him as an adversary. We must identify our adversaries. They are the enemy,” said Khaled Dasouso, a shop owner in Khan Younis.
Meanwhile, some held out a glimmer of hope.
“I believe that if Trump wins, he will, through his actions, fulfill his promise to the Muslim community in the U.S. to end the war in Gaza. We hope this will happen,” said Mohammed Barghouthi, an engineer from Gaza, Reuters reports.
