Gaza on track to removal of Israeli siege thanks to struggle & resilience: Haniyeh

The leader of the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, says the Gaza Strip is on the path to ending the blockade which the Tel Aviv regime imposed on the impoverished coastal sliver more than a decade ago, praising the “steadfastness and struggle” of the local residents for the victory.

“We are on track to the removal of the unjust siege on the Gaza Strip. This is the result of our struggle and our steadfastness,” Haniyeh addressed Gazans at a sermon for Eid al-Adha (the Feast of the Sacrifice) on Tuesday.

The Hamas leader noted that future aid to the Gaza Strip would not be conditioned on any changes to Hamas’ behavior or its policies in the enclave.

“Any humanitarian aid will be given under a national Palestinian agreement and under the supervision of an Arab security apparatus, so that there would be appropriate guarantees, with an emphasis on the Palestinian resistance forces maintain their status as providers of protection and security for the Palestinian people,” Haniyeh pointed out.

He also made a reference to US President Donald Trump's “deal of the century,” stressing that it is “clinically dead.”

Haniyeh went on to say that any reconciliation talks between Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah requires the lifting of sanctions imposed by the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA), calling on the PA to cease security coordination with the Israeli regime and end what he called persecution of Hamas officials and figures from other resistance groups in the West Bank.

On Friday, Deputy Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said, “The Palestinian factors have reached an agreement about the reconciliation, the end of the blockade and the calm with Israel.”

“There are international projects that will be implemented in Gaza soon, and we are interested in reconciliation based on partnership,” he added.

Hayya added, “We are at the home stretch of the Egyptian, Qatari and international efforts to achieve calm and are doing everything to ease [the conditions of] the blockade. However, the March of Return continues until the blockade is lifted.”

The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli blockade since June 2007. The blockade has caused a decline in the standard of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty.

More than 170 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces ever since protests rallies against the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands began in the Gaza Strip on March 30.

A total of 14,811 Palestinians have also sustained injuries, of whom 366 are reportedly in critical condition.

The Gaza Ministry of Health in a report released on Saturday announced that more than 18,000 Palestinians have also sustained injuries, of whom 370 are paramedics.

Additionally, nearly 70 ambulances have been damaged since the start of "The Great March of Return" protests in the besieged coastal sliver.

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