MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell confronted a former spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization who claimed the Hamas assault on Israel wasn’t being “put in the right kind political context.”

“I know that there are lots of grievances over many a long time by using the Palestinians and quite a few rigidity and conflicts in the West Bank, very not too long ago, during the last year, intensifying. Can you react to this possibility from Hamas now to threaten to execute hostages, who include women, children, the elderly, who were taken from their properties if there are to any extent further air attacks?” Mitchell requested.

Diana Buttu declined to reply to the threat.

“Andrea, that is the problem, is that I don’t think that that is put in its correct political context,” she said.  “This isn’t only a war, this is in reality an occupation that has long past on now for fifty six years,” she said, continuing:

What we’re seeing now could be unfortunately the results of years of lack of action on the part of the international community to actually finish this occupation. I’ve been listening to your broadcast for some time now, and I haven’t heard anyone use the time period “occupation.” They make it appear as if this came from nowhere. And sadly, this didn’t come from nowhere. Once we consider the place the roots are, the truth that this is the results of the denial of freedom, that we’ll have the ability to come collectively and put into location measures to in truth finish this and to appear ahead, and to in reality make sure that all folks get to reside in peace and dignity and safety, and in freedom.

“Let me simply ask you, though, as a result of you could have grievances towards Israel and there has been violence on both sides over time. Does that justify taking folks out of their homes of all a long time — we’re now not talking about military individuals, we’re talking about civilians, children and aged people, women and men — and taking them into Gaza and threatening to execute them?” Mitchell requested.

“Once more, Andrea, I’m no longer the one who’s doing this, so it shouldn’t be me who’s requested to comment on it,” Buttu mentioned. “What I do need folks to take into account is what life within the Gaza Strip is like.”

Watch the clip above via MSNBC.

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