On this day twenty years ago the Second Intifada broke out, which is a pivotal stage in the Palestinian struggle against the Israeli occupation. It has represented an unquestionable evidence that the Palestinian people can never waver their rights nor stop fighting against the Israeli occupation regardless of the plots against them or the sacrifices made. The Second Intifada erupted in the face of the criminal, late Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon after he broke into the al-Aqsa Mosque, in which the Palestinian people taught the Israeli occupation a lesson that is still engraved in its consciousness.

Before the outbreak of the Second Intifada, the Israeli occupation had never thought of withdrawing from any occupied part of Palestine.   

The al-Aqsa Mosque has been a red line for a long while as the Israeli occupation caved in to the popular and armed resistance in Gaza. A number of acts of resistance in the West Bank has led to a complete Israeli withdrawal from illegal settlements as life had become a nightmare for Israeli settlers

The Israeli occupation dared to escalate its aggression against al-Aqsa Mosque among other Palestinian holy sites only after the option of resistance was undermined and restricted. 

As we mark this anniversary, we are full of hope that the Palestinian people would unite behind one goal.

Hamas has spared no effort to unify the Palestinian people, especially amid the dangers posed to the Palestinian cause, including a wave of Arab normalisation with the Israeli occupation, a US support to implement the so-called “deal of the century”, and the recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli occupation’s capital by some countries, as well as Israeli annexation plans among others.  

On the anniversary of the Second Intifada and in light of the serious Israeli aggression, Hamas states the following:

First: We salute all martyrs who have fallen during the Second Intifada for sacrificing their lives to face off the Israeli occupation and its plots. 

Second: We hail all Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories as well as in the diaspora for standing steadfast in the face of conspiracies, above all the Palestinians defending the al-Aqsa Mosque. Hamas praises their steadfastness, commitment to their rights and option of resistance and their determination to continue defending Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque.
Third: Hamas calls on the Palestinians to continue visiting the al-Aqsa Mosque and defending it against Israeli occupation forces and settlers with all their strength and at any cost.

Fourth: We reiterate our full rejection of normalisation of Arab ties with the Israeli occupation and deplore the position of the Arab League, which backtracked and deviated from its course and refused to condemn normalisation with the Israeli occupation.

Fifth: Hamas stresses the need for joint work and comprehensive national dialogue to restructure the Palestinian House, resist the Israeli occupation; facing off the Israeli plots is a strategic and supreme option that we will never backtrack on and for which we will spare no effort.

 

Source: The official website of the Islamic movement Hamas