Palestinian resistance on verge of ‘great victory’: Hamas chief

Ismail Haniyeh made the remarks in televised a speech on Saturday, after Palestinian fighters launched their biggest operation against the occupying regime in years and crossed the fence into Israeli-occupied cities, with hundreds of rockets being fired from the Gaza Strip. 

“We are on the verge of a great victory and a clear conquest on the Gaza front,” Haniyeh said, adding that the battle has moved into the heart of the “Zionist entity.”

“Enough is enough, the cycle of intifadas (uprisings) and revolutions in the battle to liberate our (Palestinian) land and our prisoners languishing in occupation (Israeli) prisons must be completed,” he stated.

The top Hamas official further noted that the resistance group has already warned that “it will not remain silent about what is happening in al-Quds and the al-Aqsa Mosque, even if the entire world keeps silent on these insults and adversarial intentions.”

He also said the latest operation would soon inspire other resistance groups in the occupied West Bank and elsewhere, urging all Palestinians to participate in this battle which he said will end with victory.

Haniyeh warned the Arab countries that have moved to normalize their relations with Israel in recent years that the occupying regime cannot bring them security.

“We say to all countries, including our Arab brothers, that this entity, which cannot protect itself in the face of resistors, cannot provide you with any protection,” he said.

“All the normalization agreements that you signed with that entity cannot resolve this (Palestinian) conflict,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Hamas resistance fighters broke out of the fences separating Gaza and illegally occupied territories and infiltrated a number of towns and settlements. A heavy barrage of rockets was also fired from the Gaza Strip.

Hamas said more than 7,000 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, declaring it had started “Operation al-Aqsa Storm”. 

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement also said its fighters have joined the operation as Hamas called on Palestinians everywhere to fight and on resistance groups in Lebanon to join the fighting against Israel. 

The operation came a day after Israeli forces attacked hundreds of Palestinians attending the funeral procession of a young Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank, injuring over 50 people.

According to Israeli media, at least 200 Israelis have been killed and over 1,100 injured following the large-scale operation.

Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, has also said that “Operation al-Aqsa Storm” is in its first stage.