Hussam Badran, a Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip, said on Sunday that Palestinians were headed toward a “direct confrontation” with the Tel Aviv regime.
He also accused the Palestinian Authority (PA)’s security forces of working with the Israeli military against Hamas members in the West Bank.
Last week, the movement’s spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri warned that an intifada can be launched any time over an escalation of aggression by the Tel Aviv regime. “Resistance through every channel is the legitimate right of the Palestinian people, to liberate the land, the holy places, and the prisoners,” he said.
The Tel Aviv regime continues its search and arrest operations in the West Bank to find three young Israeli settlers who allegedly went missing on June 12. Four Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli raids and over 300 Palestinians, including Hamas members and lawmakers, have also been detained in recent days.
In April, Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas signed an agreement to end years of rivalry and form a unity government. The move irked Washington and Tel Aviv.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern over Israel’s increased aggression against and mass arrests of Palestinians in the West Bank. Ban voiced his concern in a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday.
NTJ/MB