Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas

Gaza City, May 12 (RHC)-- The head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has warned Israel against escalating tensions in the besieged Gaza strip, saying the resistance front is ready for any scenario and remains steadfast in fighting crimes by the occupying regime.

Ismail Haniyeh said in a televised speech late on Tuesday that the movement has taken a firm decision not to stop resistance as long as the Israeli regime continues its crimes and violations in the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds and at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“We have the right to respond to the Israeli offensive and protect the interests of our people as long as the Israeli occupation continues the escalation,” Haniyeh said.   The top Hamas official hailed as “victory” and a new “balance of power” the massive rocket fusillade on Israel, including an unprecedented 130 rockets fired at Tel Aviv and its suburban areas earlier in the day, and said the Palestinian resistance movement would not leave Jerusalem al-Quds alone.

“We have achieved victory in the battle for Jerusalem, the defense of Jerusalem,” Haniyeh said.  “Hamas is ready for every scenario, whether escalation or ceasefire…  We, as Palestinians, will not abandon Jerusalem and the resistance, holding the occupation fully responsible for the escalation.”

"In the specific, there have been urgent calls since yesterday and until now with the brothers in Egypt, Qatar also with the United Nations.  We said to everyone that who had ignited fire in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa and the flames extended to Gaza is the Israeli occupation, therefore, it is responsible for the consequences," he added.

Haniyeh said the “links between Gaza and Jerusalem al-Quds are unchangeable," underlining that the holy city has drawn up a new “scale of power” at the political level.  “We reiterate that we will not backtrack on the equation of a 'bombing for a bombing' that the Palestinian resistance is trying to impose on the Israeli occupation,” Haniyeh added.

During his televised address, the head of the political bureau of Hamas highlighted the unity of Palestinians in their fight against Israeli occupation and said that Hamas had so far acted on three fronts.  “The first is the al-Quds front, the second is the Gaza front... and the third are the Palestinians in the lands occupied in 1948,” he noted.

Haniyeh also underlined that the resistance movement would remain the armored shield of the Palestinian people and would continue to fend off the Israeli aggression at any cost.