Hayya: No calm without lifting blockade on Gaza

Member of Hamas’s political bureau Khalil al-Hayya has affirmed that the Palestinian resistance has engaged in a daily assessment of Israel’s commitment to honoring the renewed understandings over Gaza, warning that the area will not enjoy calm as long as the occupation and blockade continue to exist.

In televised remarks to al-Aqsa satellite channel, Hayya said no one can bargain with the Palestinian resistance in Gaza over stopping the March of Return rallies and giving up its weapons, pointing out that the resistance controls the protest tools used in the border rallies.

He also said that the recent military aggression against Gaza came after Israel showed reluctance to implement what it had agreed upon with Egypt over Gaza and later persisted in opening live fire at peaceful protesters on the border, provoking response from the resistance.

He underlined that the recent round of conflict came in response to Israel’s aggression and that the issue of armed resistance would never be tabled during any mediated talks.

“When the resistance’s response reached 40 kilometers, the enemy started to retreat and pressured the mediators to reach understandings with the resistance. It was obvious that the occupation was seeking to escalate the situation and its aggression, but we managed to restrain it to protect our people,” the Hamas official said.