1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I am writing to correct two false narratives that are now shaping U.S. policy toward Gaza and risking the permanent denial of Palestinian self-determination. These are not disputed facts among those who have followed the negotiations closely. 1. Palestinian factions demonstrated unity and willingness to govern Gaza as early as 2024 — including Fatah. • Beginning in early 2024, Palestinian political factions — including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah, and other parties — engaged in unprecedented unity talks in Cairo, Beijing, and elsewhere. • These discussions produced joint declarations emphasizing Palestinian-led governance of Gaza after the assault ended. • Senior figures from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad publicly stated they would accept Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority assuming governance of Gaza, despite deep political rivalries. • The demand was simple and consistent: Palestinians must govern Gaza — not Israel, not the U.S., and not a foreign-appointed board. This unity effort was real, documented, and ignored. 2. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad never agreed to disarm — claims that they did are a blatant lie. • In ceasefire negotiations, Palestinian resistance factions agreed only to combatant-relevant terms: • exchange of captives • cessation of fire • resumption of humanitarian aid • timelines for Israeli withdrawal • No agreement to disarm was ever signed. • Claims that Hamas or PIJ accepted disarmament were introduced after the fact and are being used to falsely accuse Palestinians of violating agreements they never made. This is not a misunderstanding. It is a deliberate distortion used to justify continued siege, killing, and foreign control over Gaza. Congress must stop accepting false premises that erase Palestinian political agency and rewrite the negotiation record. Any framework for Gaza that excludes Palestinian self-governance or invents conditions Palestinians never accepted is not peace — it is colonial rule by another name. I urge you to reassess any policy or public statement that relies on these false claims.