100,000 Palestinians attend Hamas 29th anniversary festival

Ten thousands of Palestinians participated in the rally Hamas called for to commemorate its 29th inception anniversary to the north of the Gaza Strip on Friday.

Hamas said that nearly 100,000 of its members and supporters rallied in the event that initiated its anniversary celebrations.

The participants chanted slogans supporting Hamas and resistance as the only means to confront the Israeli occupation.

Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas political bureau member, affirmed in a speech at the end of the march the movement’s commitment to the resistance option until final liberation, stressing that Hamas gave, and will continue to give, many sacrifices and martyrs to achieve this goal.

He added that Hamas was and will remain honest to its principles, including its promise to liberate the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails and its rejection of normalization with the Israeli occupation with all its forms, pointing out that the Movement went through several tests and attempts to break its will and thwart resistance.

Hayya renewed Hamas’s support for the reconciliation initiative tabled by the Islamic Jihad Movement saying, “We appreciate and support the Islamic Jihad’s initiative and call on Fatah to make it a starting point to reinstate national unity.”

The Palestinian leader called on Arabs and Muslims to provide a dignified asylum for the Palestinian refugees until they return to their homeland.

He affirmed in conclusion that Hamas maintained balanced political relations with the countries in the region and did not interfere in their internal affairs.