“The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas rejects UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ labeling of Palestinian resistance to the Israeli occupation as ‘violence’.

“Hamas confirms that such a misnomer is not compatible with a genuine human right – i.e. the right to self-defense against the aggression inflicted by an occupying power. This right to self-defense is a legitimate right in consonance with international laws and norms.

“The Palestinian people will never abolish such a right and will continue to fight the Israeli occupation and its Judaisation schemes until they liberate their homeland.

“The Palestinian resistance movement affirms that the terms ‘violence’ and ‘terrorism’ apply exclusively to the Israeli occupation and fascist colonial settlers, who bear full responsibility for escalating the situation, disrupting the lives of the Palestinian people, and denying them their national rights.”“Hamas rejects UN chief labeling Palestinian resistance as ‘violence,’” Hamas, September 14, 2023, https://hamas.ps/en/post/4931/Hamas-rejects-UN-chief-labeling-Palestinian-resistance-as-violence.