Sinwar to Israel: Don’t test us again!

The head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip Yehyia al-Sinwar affirmed Friday that his group will break the Israeli blockade that had been imposed on the Gaza Strip and will provide a decent life for its people.

This came during a popular eulogy for seven members of al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, who were killed on Nov. 11 in a gun battle with a special Israeli army in east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis.

The Israeli blockade that had been imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007 has to be ended, he said, adding that “it will end by the peaceful marches of return, and if not, we have other means and methods to break it.”

He also warned Israel “not to test us again,” saying that the next time Israeli soldiers entered the Strip, they would only return through a prisoner exchange for “thousands of prisoners.”

“I advise the occupation not to repeat the experience of sending a special military undercover force because next time we will clean the Israeli prisons,” said Sinwar, referring to kidnapping soldiers and exchanging them for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

“What did the Israeli leadership think when it allowed in fuel and Qatari funds? … That we would sell out our blood for diesel and dollars? They’ve been disappointed, and their goals have failed,” he asked.

Sinwar was holding up a pistol that he said belonged to the elite Israel Special Forces unit that performed the ground operation in the Gaza Strip at the start of the week during which seven members of al-Qassam Brigades were killed.

One Israel commander was also killed and another injured in the incident.

Sinwar said he also had pictures of the incident and the retrieval of the commander of the Israeli force that was killed.

Sinwar said that he has sent a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his new army minister that “Gaza only prepares death for you.”

“It is the first time in the history of the Palestinian armed struggle that 13 Palestinian armed wings in the Gaza Strip worked together in one joint operation room.”

A three-day aggression on Gaza ended on Tuesday after reaching a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions under Egyptian mediation.
The agreement was followed by the resignation of Israeli army minister Avigdor Lieberman from his position.