Hamas praises British Labour leader Corbyn

The anti-occupation Hamas movement has praised the British Labour party and its leader Jeremy Corbyn for acknowledging the reality that the Palestinian resistance movements are popular.

Corbyn on Sunday night rejected calls from Jewish leaders to denounce the Hamas and Hezbollah resistance movements, vowing to continue talking to them.

Hamas spokesman, Taher Al-Nunu, said that Corbyn's willingness to engage with Hamas was a “painful hit that the Zionist enemy received”.

“Jeremy Corbyn has been a longstanding supporter of Palestinian rights and the pursuit of peace and justice in the Middle East through dialogue and negotiation,” the Labour leader’s spokesman said in a statement quoted by the newspaper.

“He has met many people with whom he profoundly disagrees in order to promote peace and reconciliation processes, including in South Africa, Latin America, Ireland and the Middle East,” added the statement.

"He believes it is essential to speak to people with whom there is disagreement, particularly when they have large-scale support or democratic mandates. Simply talking to people who agree with you won’t help achieve justice or peace," added the spokesman.