Palestinian groups in Istanbul slam Israeli occupation

By Esat Firat

ISTANBUL

Palestinian groups in Istanbul, including Hamas and Fatah, slammed Israeli occupation and rejected a U.S.-backed plan for the region, which President Donald Trump described as “a deal of the century”.

In a joint declaration, the groups said the U.S.-imposed deal disregards Palestinian rights. They also called for a "national unity" against the Israeli occupation and the U.S.-backed plan.

The U.S. administration has cryptically referred in the past to a “Deal of the Century” -- an alleged backchannel plan aimed at reaching a final settlement of the decades-long Mideast conflict.

Last month, Trump’s senior adviser, Jared Kushner, said details of the proposed deal would be announced soon.

Kushner recently visited the region along with U.S. peace envoy Jason Greenblatt where they held talks in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and Israel with a view to promoting the “Deal of the Century”.

The Palestinian leadership, however, has rejected U.S. mediation since last December, when Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.