Justice and Development Party Announces Hamas Delegate Will Not Attend Conference
On the eve of its ninth national conference in Bouznika, the Justice and Development Party announced the absence of a delegation from Hamas, despite earlier confirmations of their participation. Idris Elazmi, the head of the conference’s preparatory committee, confirmed on Friday morning that representatives of the movement would not attend, without providing any clarifications regarding the reasons.
The controversy escalated after human rights organizations called on the Ministry of Interior to prevent the conference’s organization, due to an invitation the party extended to leaders from Hamas. Secretary-General Abdel Ilah Benkirane described this invitation as an unacceptable transgression, referring to it as “shameless,” and asserted that the Palestinian movement would be present at the conference.
The party had previously announced that Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum would attend alongside another undisclosed figure, which was confirmed by Elazmi in a prior interview, indicating that the presence of Hamas representatives in Morocco was contingent upon official coordination.
