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Hamas weighs restraint, escalation with Israel as violence intensifies

The Israeli air force bombed Gaza in response to rocket fire, the worst violence in a year, as confrontations continue in Jerusalem.
Al Aqsa

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Palestinian factions, led by the Hamas Movement in Gaza, considered the Israeli police's decision to block far-right Jewish protesters from holding a flag march on April 20 as a victory.

"Just as we defeated the so-called flag march, we will defeat the policy of intrusion. We are still at the beginning of the battle," said Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, in a statement Thursday.

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