GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Palestinian resistance factions were prompt to denounce the Dec. 19 assassination of Hezbollah leader Samir Kuntar in a raid targeting Jaramana near Damascus, blaming Israel for his death. Some armed factions vowed to retaliate and continue their resistance against Israel.

Yet, their vows of retaliation seem more like supportive and sympathetic gestures than actual threats to escalate the situation with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, mourned Kuntar in a Dec. 20 statement and pledged "to persist in jihad and resistance until defeating the occupation, achieving the right of return and liberating prisoners and holy sites.”

The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, announced Dec. 20 on its website, “We stress our loyalty to the martyred commander [Kuntar], to his blood and history. Avenging him is a sacred duty to all Arab resistance fighters. Today, [these fighters] have the responsibility to open a national resistance front against the Zionist enemies of the nation and whoever is associated with them.”