Tehran, Iran - February 17, 2025 A senior Hamas official in Iran on Monday criticized the current U.S. administration's approach to international relations as hindering efforts to achieve peace in the region, while emphasizing that the Palestinian people remain united in their hope of becoming an independent state despite the atrocities they have faced. Speaking in an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), Khaled Qaddoumi, a representative of Gaza's ruling movement Hamas in Iran, said U.S. President Donald Trump's policies and remarks on the war-torn Gaza Strip go against the international consensus and could potentially exacerbate tensions in the region. The Hamas official emphasized that despite the unprecedented level of destruction and severe hardships facing Palestinians amid the conflict with Israel, there is collective desire for a political solution to the current crisis and for the reconstruction of the devastated Gaza Strip to go ahead with refugees granted the right to return, and ultimately the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Despite this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his support for Trump's plan for Gaza, which includes the transfer of the enclave's Palestinian population to neighboring countries, a proposal which has been rejected by Arab leaders. Qaddoumi stressed that Palestinians have long been victims of Israeli aggression, but amid the current ceasefire, they are seeking to communicate their aim for the formation of a sovereign and independent state through political and diplomatic means, despite Israeli opposition to their proposals. Shotlist: Tehran, Iran - Feb 17, 2025: FILE: Tehran, Iran - Date Unknown 1. Various of buildings, national flags of Iran, traffic; Tehran, Iran - Feb 17, 2025 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas representative to Iran (ending with shot 3): "I think the international community today is in real concern over such an attitude from the existing American administration, headed by President Trump. No law is being observed, no frame of reference is being respected, and he is trying to improvise his own world and his own law, that no-one in the world has agreed to."; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - October 2024 3. Various of White House, U.S. national flag; FILE: Jerusalem - April 7-8, 2019 4. Various of building of Israeli Parliament Knesset, national flag of Israel; Netzarim Corridor, Gaza Strip - Feb 9, 2025 5. Displaced Palestinians walking amid destroyed buildings; 6. Destroyed buildings; 7. Displaced Palestinians walking among rubbles; Tehran, Iran - Feb 17, 2025 8. SOUNDBITE (English) Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas representative to Iran: "We are a united Palestinian in front of the Israeli atrocities. We are all adamant to move forward, to form the running administrative committee, to run the rebuilding of Gaza, and then proceeding for the election, and then with the political solution, that [the Palestinian] people, those families who have sacrificed their children for the sake of a better future and a bright future, [can] say their word (express their view). They want to establish their own Palestinian state on the land of the West Bank and Gaza, with the right of return to the refugees, and the capital of it is Al-Quds, Jerusalem."; Gaza Strip - Feb 7, 2025 9. Three-wheeled motorcycle running, ruined buildings; 10. Destroyed buildings; 11. Car carrying belongings driving, displaced Palestinians walking amid ruined buildings; Jabalia, Gaza Strip - Jan 19, 2025 12. Various of crowds of Palestinians on way back home, destroyed buildings; Tehran, Iran - Feb 17, 2025 13. SOUNDBITE (English) Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas representative to Iran: "We are at the receiving end. We are the victims. We are trying our best to talk politically and diplomatically, to talk on the field, to talk with the language which can make the world understand. We have proposed our desires, we have proposed our politics and our policies. We want a sovereign, independent Palestinian state. Israelis don’t agree to that."; Khan Younis, Gaza Strip - Feb 15, 2025 14. Various of people, flags of Palestine. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV]