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.
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.
The intensity of the Jewish incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to mark Passover was limited, while the number of Palestinians who come to the site to pray during Ramadan increases.
On April 15, the Palestinian factions called for preparation in the Gaza Strip for a possible confrontation with Israel, in response to attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem. The joint operations room for the military factions in the Gaza Strip has been on high alert, following a meeting held in the office of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ leader in Gaza, on April 14.
