Israeli Threat to Hamas Shows Failures Against Unity Government – Paper

Text of report by Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds website on 14 March

[Report by Ghassan al-Katut in Nablus: "Hamas Considers Israeli Threats Indicative of Failure to Rally International Public Opinion Against Unity Government"]

A responsible Hamas source in the West Bank has stated that Israel’s announcement that it intends to open a military front soon with Hamas is considered clear evidence of the failed Israeli diplomatic efforts to rally international public opinion against the national unity government and the recent Mecca agreement and the things to which it will lead, including breaking the siege imposed on the Palestinian people.

The source was reacting to a report in Ma’ariv to the effect that the Israeli army is threatening to wage a new military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip soon.

The Hamas source said: “It is only natural for such Israeli media suggestions to be issued, especially after the grand failure Israel has experienced recently as a result of the Palestinian-Palestinian agreement and the positive results it yielded, including the state of unity and accord, and after the state of internal division and widespread corruption in Israel, especially among the ranks of its military and political leadership, in a desperate attempt [by Israel] to export its domestic crisis to the Palestinian side.”

He added that the Palestinian people will not stand completely incapacitated and unable to respond to any attack to which any of the sons of these people are subjected. All the factions of resistance action will take a united stance in the face of the occupation and its military arsenal, and they will not welcome its army with flowers.

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