Azam Al-Ahmad, Secretary-General of the PLO, recently held talks in Cairo with leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), both of which participated in the October 7th attack alongside Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
In an interview with the news site "Al-Shorouk," Al-Ahmad stated that the talks resulted in an agreement to strengthen "popular resistance" and move forward with activating the PLO institutions and holding elections for the Palestinian National Council.
Al-Ahmad noted that soon there would also be discussions with representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad to integrate them as full members of the PLO.
In this context, Al-Ahmad mentioned that the conditions for Hamas and Islamic Jihad to join the PLO are accepting the PLO's national charter and the organization's basic regulations. "Hamas must be an integral part of the PLO," he emphasized.
He also said that "the PLO rejects the US position opposing Hamas playing any role in the Gaza Strip and views the demand to disarm Hamas and define it as a 'terrorist organization' as unacceptable statements."
"We have never viewed Hamas as a terrorist organization, and we have always opposed any international organization or government labeling them as such, as they are part of the Palestinian national framework," Al-Ahmad claimed.