Hamas: Israeli oppression will instigate third Intifada

A Hamas spokesman, Hammad Ar-Ruqab, has warned that the Tel Aviv regime will see a third uprising from the Palestinian people, should Israeli forces continue to displace Palestinians and Judaize the occupied Palestinian land in Jerusalem (Al-Quds).

“The crimes of Israeli occupation of the West Bank have become a threat to the whole Palestinian question, especially the campaign to Judaize the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (Al-Quds),” Ar-Ruqab told hundreds of protestors who had taken to streets in Khan Younis on Tuesday to decry displacement of their fellow nationals in the West Bank.

The Hamas official also warned that the constant oppression would need only a small spark to ignite a third Intifada.

“We say to our people in the West Bank including Jerusalem (Al-Quds) that we are with them and will never remain, hands folded, toward their suffering. All the ongoing negotiations, and agreements signed by the Palestinian Authority do not represent the Palestinian people, and we will not be responsible for that, neither will the Palestinian people,” Ar-Ruqab noted.

The Hamas official called on the Palestinians in the West Bank and inside Israel to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Ar-Ruqab said the responsibility to protect Al-Aqsa lies with the Palestinians, but must also be firmly supported by Arab and Muslim nations.

The First Intifada started in December 1987 when the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza started a mass uprising against the Israeli occupation. It was followed by the Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

The Al-Aqsa Intifada began in September 2000, in response to then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The visit was seen by many as a provocative gesture aimed at inciting the Palestinians because the mosque is considered the third holiest site for Muslims.