Hamas says it is committed to right of Palestinian people to self-determination

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas reiterated its commitment to the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians.

In a statement Sunday marking the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Hamas called for the protection of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, an end to the massacres and genocide committed by Israel against civilians and the prosecution of the perpetrators.

The statement emphasized the political, moral and humanitarian responsibility of stopping the genocide in Gaza and filing a lawsuit in international courts to try the perpetrators as war criminals.

Hamas has also called on the UN and international organizations to end the policy of double standards and advocate for justice in recognizing the legitimate rights and just cause of the Palestinian people.

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with Hamas.

Nearly 18,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 49,229 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio