Resistance will not be silent: Hamas warns Israel over its ongoing violations in the West Bank

Hamas warned Israel against its continued violations against the Palestinians in Jenin city in the West Bank, stressing that it will not accept its offer of loosening the siege of the Gaza Strip as a form of blackmail. 

Speaking to The New Arab, an official source close to Hamas who preferred to be unnamed, said on Monday, "the movement delivered two messages to the Israeli occupation; one through Egyptian and Qatari mediators, confirming that the Gaza-based armed resistance will not be silent as long as the Israeli army continue their violations against the Palestinians in the West Bank."

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The second message took a place on the ground in form of a missile fired from the coastal enclave towards adjacent Israeli towns, despite the fact that none of the factions claimed responsibility for it, the source added.

"The Palestinian resistance has its own military options, including the possibility of escalating the situation and launching rockets from the Gaza Strip to respond to Israeli crimes in the West Bank, especially the city of Jenin," the source elaborated.

The source also stressed that Hamas will not accept Israel's offer of loosening the siege on Gaza, describing it as a form of "blackmail" by Israel on the movement to force it to remain silent on the abuses and violations in the occupied West Bank. 

Hamas' threat came in response to the Israeli army killing of three Palestinian activists in Jenin on Friday, amid an increasing campaign of Israeli arrests of Palestinians in the West Bank governorates.

On his part, Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas, stressed that the Palestinians must reach an agreement regarding the national strategy which aims to end a 15-year-long division between the Palestinian political parties.

"We need to form a single front that protects the constants and sponsors the resistance and is a reference for rebuilding the Palestine Liberation Organization," Haniyeh added. 

"Moreover, we have to form strategic relations with Arab and international allies that would contribute to strengthening the Palestinian position," he said.

His appeal was made during a speech at an international scientific conference organized by the Ummah University in Gaza, entitled "Palestinian Sovereignty… Strategic Variables and Future Paths."

Haniyeh called Palestinian factions and official decision-makers to focus on adopting a future Palestinian strategic vision that advances the Palestinian cause.