Haniyeh: Hamas not fighting ‘a proxy war,’ merely battling on Palestinian land

Head of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas Ismail Haniyeh says the besieged Gaza Strip-based movement is not fighting “a proxy war,” clarifying that it is merely fighting a battle on the Palestinian land against the occupying regime of Israel.

“Hamas is running a complicated battle with the Israeli occupation,” said the head of Hamas Political Bureau in an interview with the Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network on Sunday evening, Hamas’ official website reported on Monday.

Haniyeh noted that each round of fighting undergoes a comprehensive assessment, and that Hamas scored a “strategic victory” in deterrence against Israel during ‘Operation Sword of Al-Quds,’ which greatly damaged Israel’s economy.

Tel Aviv launched a brutal bombing campaign against Gaza on May 10, following Palestinian retaliation for violent raids on worshipers at al-Aqsa Mosque and the regime’s plans to force a number of Palestinian families from their homes at the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East al-Quds. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 260 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli offensive, including 66 children and 40 women. Nearly 1,950 people were also wounded.

In response, the Palestinian resistance movements, chief among them Hamas, launched ‘Operation Sword of Al-Quds’ and fired more than 4,000 rockets and missiles into the occupied territories, killing 12 Israelis. Apparently caught off guard by the unprecedented barrage of rockets from Gaza, Israel announced a unilateral ceasefire on May 21, which the resistance accepted with Egyptian mediation.

Hamas: Operation al-Quds Sword best response to Israel's annexation plans

Hamas says Operation al-Quds Sword was the best response to Israel

Haniyeh said that following ‘Operation Sword of Al-Quds,’ the Palestinian resistance in the blockaded enclave imposed new rules of engagement and proved that it would not be isolated from any development in major Palestinian issues, such as Al-Quds, the Palestinian prisoners in Israel, colonial settlement expansion of the regime, and the Palestinian refugees.

“The American strategy now is based on calming down all fronts in the region, but we always expect the worst from the Israeli occupation,” the Hamas chief said when asked whether he anticipates another war in a near future.

Haniyeh also hailed Iran’s support of Hamas, saying the Islamic Republic backs all resistance groups, including Hamas, fighting the Israeli occupation. Iran supports Hamas mainly because of the religious depth of the Palestinian cause and Al-Quds, and also due to the Israeli regime being a mutual enemy, the Hamas official added.

Hamas: No more Israeli blackmail; prisoner-for-prisoner exchange sole option

Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has vowed to resist Israeli blackmail on lifting its inhumane siege on Gaza.

Haniyeh dismissed any disagreements within Hamas, saying the resistance movement is unified and acts on the basis of a strategy agreed upon by all officials at home and overseas.

The Hamas chief once again denounced Britain for its recent designation of Hamas as a “terrorist organization,” condemning the move as “another sin added to its first one,” in reference to the Balfour Declaration, which paved the way for the creation of Israel. Haniyeh also called on London to backtrack on the move, which, he said, came in response to Israel’s significant pressure on the British government.

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