Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mardawi says Israeli threats to occupy Gaza will fail, as the resistance remains committed to a comprehensive deal that meets Palestinian demands.

Mahmoud al-Mardawi, a senior leader in the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, stated that Israel’s threats to fully occupy the Gaza Strip are part of a broader strategy to crush the will of the Palestinian people and pressure them into surrendering their rights and holy sites. He stressed, however, that these efforts are doomed to failure.

On Monday, leaks revealed that the Israeli government has approved a plan to occupy all of Gaza. 

Israeli media reported that the plan includes expanding military operations throughout the Strip in order to achieve full control. 

This comes a day after Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir announced that the army had begun issuing tens of thousands of reserve call-ups, indicating an imminent escalation of the campaign.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera, al-Mardawi reiterated that the Palestinian resistance will not accept any settlement that fails to meet the demands of the Palestinian people. 

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He said the movement insists on a comprehensive agreement that includes the release of all Israeli captives held by the resistance, a complete and lasting ceasefire, full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the start of reconstruction efforts following the widespread destruction, and the release of all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.

The Israeli army, currently experiencing a shortage of regular forces, is pushing forward by mobilizing more reserve troops in preparation for expanded combat operations.

Regarding the humanitarian situation, al-Mardawi described conditions in Gaza as catastrophic due to the ongoing Israeli assault. 

He also said the West Bank is facing a national catastrophe as a result of the occupation’s continued policies of Judaization, displacement, and starvation. He warned that children in Gaza are facing death from severe malnutrition caused by the total blockade imposed on the territory.

Despite the worsening crisis, al-Mardawi said the resistance relies on the resilience of the Palestinian people and the intensification of resistance as a way to confront these challenges. 

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He emphasized that steadfastness remains the only path to halting the ongoing massacres and aggression. He concluded by saying that all attempts by the occupation to force its conditions through threats and mass violence will not succeed, adding that the Palestinian people have no alternative but to achieve a comprehensive deal that guarantees their safety and security.

Ongoing Genocide

Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.

On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 52,000, wounding more than 118,000, with over 14,000 still missing.

Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.

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Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.

The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.

(PC, AJA)