The head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has praised the untiring perseverance of Palestinians in the face of Israeli offensives against Gaza, stressing that the signs that the Zionist regime is losing the battle are becoming more evident.
Delivering a televised speech on Sunday on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, Ismail Haniyeh stated that Palestinians espouse a deep-seated belief in the promises of final liberation and victory.
“The Eid is being marked in the Gaza Strip, whilst people in the area are fighting off the occupying aggressors on all fronts. Our brothers and sisters in Gaza are enduring an unprecedented level of misery and suffering… The [Zionist] enemy will see no reaction other than resilience and patience from our compatriots,” Haniyeh said.
The Hamas chief further noted that the signs of the Israeli regime’s defeat are becoming evident more than ever as the occupying enemy has failed to obtain any of its declared objectives in the Gaza war.
He went on to laud the al-Aqsa Storm Operation as a historic battle with outstanding causes and results, saying, “Despite all attempts being made by the occupiers to weaken the capabilities of resistance factions, Palestinian fighters carry on their operations mightily and innovatively.”
“I salute all branches of the Axis of Resistance and extend my gratitude to Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement as well as Yemeni Ansarullah fighters for their [maritime] operations in the Red Sea. I also thank resistance groups in Iraq and Syria for their support of Palestinians,” Haniyeh pointed out.
On ceasefire
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Hamas chief said the resistance front is serious and flexible about ceasefire talks. But he noted that any agreement must be comprehensive, lead to full withdrawal of Israel from Gaza and include arrangements for a prisoner swap.
Haniyeh highlighted that those provisions must be clearly stated in any truce agreement and such a deal must lead to a full ceasefire.
He finally called on the international community to take action to force Israel to open all border crossings into Gaza, and return the control of the Rafah crossing between the coastal territory and Egypt.
Israel unleashed the Gaza onslaught on October 7 after Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups carried out Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
The Tel Aviv regime has so far killed at least 37,296 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 85,197 others, according to the Gaza-based health ministry.
The occupying entity has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.