Abu Muhammad, one of the fighters from the Fatah-affiliated al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, told Ma’an News Agency that Hamas will reach its goals in possible peace agreement.
"Now look how the resistance is imposing its conditions (on Israel)," he said, referring to Hamas's insistence that the eight-year Israeli siege be lifted as a condition for any long-term peace agreement. "The resistance is an asset to the Palestinian people," he added.
Abu Muhammad -- not his real name -- is 40 years old and a father of five children, the oldest of whom is 10 years old. He has been engaged in the fighting since the start of Israel's large-scale offensive last month.
He said that he had told his children he was traveling out of Gaza for medical reasons in order to obscure his disappearance -- and in case something happened to him. But his wife knew from the beginning that he was off to the war front to serve as a resistance fighter and might never come back.
"I miss my family very much, but I am on a duty to defend my people and retaliate against the invaders' attacks that killed hundreds of civilians," Abu Muhammad said.
Although the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades is the armed wing of Fatah, Hamas's political rival, during times of Israeli attacks all factions and parties become united under coordinated command.
"Our enemy only understands the language of power. Look what has happened over the last twenty years of peace talks: more colonization and land theft, killing and destruction," he said.
When asked what he thinks of Israel's main condition for an end to hostilities -- the disarmament of Palestinian resistance factions -- Abu Muhammad's response was unequivocal: "Whoever agrees to this condition is a traitor."
"We have the right to resist and defend ourselves," he continued. "Our enemy has nuclear warheads and the most advanced weapons in the world; why is this entity allowed to arm itself? We are under military occupation and have the right even under international law to resist the occupiers."
Approximately 1,980 Palestinians have been killed and over 10,000 injured in the last month of Israeli attacks. The vast majority of those killed were civilians, including more than 450 children according to the United Nations.
NTJ/HH