Israel fomenting sectarian strife in Mideast to marginalize Palestinian cause: Sinwar

The leader of Hamas resistance movement in the Gaza Strip says the Israeli regime is resorting to sectarian strife in the Middle East in order to marginalize the Palestinian cause, and advance its own agenda in the region.

“Our cause is at a dangerous juncture, and there are real threats that we must face. The occupying regime is pouring fuel on the fire of sectarian strife in the Arab countries as part of efforts to obliterate the Palestinian cause,” Yahya Sinwar said in a speech delivered in Gaza City on Monday evening.

He added that Israeli lobbyists control the United States, whose head of state –President Donald Trump – referred to Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of Israel at the 2017 Riyadh summit, held in 2017 in the Saudi capital, and no participant raised an objection at the time.

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A high-ranking Hamas official has warned Israel against escalating tensions in Gaza, saying Tel Aviv will face the consequences.

Sinwar also condemned attempts by some Arab states and Persian Gulf kingdoms to normalize diplomatic relations with the Tel Aviv regime, noting Trump had said back then that Arab leaders were developing new approaches aimed at the establishment of normal ties with Israel.

He went on to say that think tanks have been formed within Palestinian factions in order to deal with every problem impeding the implementation of a reconciliation agreement, emphasizing that there are certain forces seeking to prolong division among Palestinians.

During a visit to Gaza last week, Chairman of the Palestinian Central Election Commission Hanna Nasser and leaders of eight factions in the Palestinian enclave signed an agreement to hold parliamentary elections in the Palestinian territories first and presidential elections three months later.

PressTV-Palestinian factions agree to hold elections

Gaza-based Palestinian political parties and the Palestinian Central Election Commission have reached an agreement to hold general elections.

Nasser revisited the Gaza Strip for talks with Hamas leaders on holding the unsynchronized elections. He met with Sinwar and other leaders of the resistance movement, delivering Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' response to the agreement reached between the commission and the Palestinian factions.

Elsewhere in his Monday speech, the Hamas leader highlighted that the parties behind an attempt to assassinate former Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah in Gaza in late March worked under the guidance of officers in the Israeli intelligence service, and were assisted by some internal agents.

He said Hamas has unconditionally agreed to the Palestinian factions’ initiative to end division because it is always ready for elections.

“If Hamas does not win the next elections, it certainly will not lose,” Sinwar commented.

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A senior leader of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement warns that Israel is carrying out three dangerous plans with regard to the al-Aqsa Mosque.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Sinwar said the Islamic resistance movement “will not accept the persistence of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and will not be patient any longer.”

“We have hundreds of kilometers of tunnels … besides anti-armor and rocket-propelled grenades manufactured locally.

“We have succeeded to form a joint command center with the participation of 13 military wings of Palestinian factions, to address the aggression of the occupation,” he said, stressing that “Iran has offered the greatest assistance as regards building our strength.”

The Israeli military frequently bombs Gaza, with civilians being the main target of such attacks.

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The Israeli military has reportedly launched air raids against areas in the besieged Gaza Strip hours after opening fire on and injuring dozens of Palestinians.

Israel has also launched several wars on the Palestinian coastal sliver, the last of which began in early July 2014. The military aggression, which ended on August 26, 2014, killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians. Over 11,100 others were also wounded in the war.

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

PressTV-Israeli forces injure about 80 Gazans

Israeli forces attack protests taking place near the fence between the occupied territories and the besieged Gaza Strip, injuring about 80.

The Israeli regime denies about 1.8 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs with proper wages as well as adequate healthcare and education.

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