Hamas Rejects Blair’s New US-Backed Role: The Devil’s Brother Can’t Govern Gaza

By Staff, Agencies

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas censured Washington’s reported plan to name former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as the Gaza Strip governor, stressing that the people of Palestine can manage their own affairs.

Senior Hamas political bureau member Husam Badran wrote on the social media platform Telegram on Monday that including Blair in any ceasefire initiative “is an ominous sign for the Palestinian people.”

Badran was responding to a report by the "Israeli" daily Haaretz that the US is considering Blair’s possible appointment as part of post-"Israeli" war arrangements for Gaza.

Calling Blair “the devil’s brother,” he added that instead of being considered for interim governorship of Gaza, “[he] deserves to stand before international courts for his crimes, especially his role in the war on Iraq [2003–2011].”

Badran further described Blair as a figure who “has brought nothing good to the Palestinian cause, the Arabs or the Muslims, noting that his "criminal, destructive role has been well known for years.”

He emphasized that administering Palestinian affairs in Gaza or the West Bank is solely a Palestinian matter and should be decided through national consensus, not dictated by regional or international actors.

“The Palestinian people are capable of managing themselves; we have the resources and expertise to run our own affairs and our relations with the region and the world,” he stated.

He said Hamas does not seek to rule Gaza or Palestine alone, noting the group had shared this stance with other Palestinian factions even before the escalation in December 2023.

On the ceasefire negotiations, Badran reported, “We have not received any official proposal through mediators, which is the usual channel for such initiatives.”

He stressed that any information circulating “comes only through the media, whether attributed to Trump or others.”

He pointed out that this is not the first time Washington, in coordination with "Israeli", has floated ideas and initiatives that later require time to be finalized and formally delivered through mediators.

In a statement Sunday, Hamas said ceasefire talks have been suspended since "Israel’s" failed assassination attempt in Doha on September 9, with no new proposals received since.

This follows Trump’s presentation last Tuesday of a 21-point plan to Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, aimed at ending "Israel’s" genocidal war in Gaza.