The leader of Hamas, the Palestinian organization, said this week the country is negotiating a cease-fire with Israel, but also said that “all of the missiles that the Palestinian resistance fired [at Israel] during the 51 days of the last war [in 2014] it can fire in five minutes.”
Yahya Sinwar said Hamas is capable of “causing six months of rising and falling air raid sirens” in the Tel Aviv area.
“We don’t want a military confrontation, but we are not afraid of one,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sinwar added that negotiations could still progress in a deal that would release two Israeli civilians who are being held in Gaza. The remains of two Israeli soldiers could also be returned to the country. The soldiers were killed in 2014.
Recently, there has been increasing violence between Israel and Hamas, with protests at the Gaza border, rioting and attacks on Israeli troops.
Hamas has reported that about 170 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the protests started.
Sinwar also warned this week that the Palestinian government should not try to prevent a deal between Israel and Hamas.
“Any punitive measures the PA imposes on the Gaza Strip will be in violation of the rules of the game. We respond to any such measures appropriately,” he said.
However, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said that any ceasefire agreement has to be approved by the Palestinian Authority.
“Over my dead body will there be a ceasefire and calm between both sides,” Abbas reportedly said.
Photo courtesy: Unsplash/Ahmed Abu Hameeda
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