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Keeping blockade on Gaza Strip won't serve current calm: Hamas

Xinhua, August 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

The armed wing of Islamic Hamas movement, the ruler of the Gaza Strip, warned Israel on Sunday that keeping the blockade on the coastal enclave won't serve the current calm.

Abu Obeida, the masked spokesman of al-Qassam Brigades, made the remarks in a rally in Rafah town in southern Gaza Strip marking two years since Israel waged its last large-scale offensive on Gaza in 2014.

His remarks also came shortly after several rockets were fired from northern Gaza Strip into southern Israel, where Israeli jet fighters and artillery bombed targets belonging to Hamas.

"The enemy's leadership keeps committing mistakes and repeats the same stupidities by maintaining the siege imposed on our people. They will be wrong if they believe that the siege could break our resistance," said Abu Obeida.

He stressed that "the Israeli siege would never prevent the Brigades from developing its abilities or preparing for the battle of liberation. We will carry on until we liberate our land and our people."

In the summer of 2014, Israel waged a large-scale military air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, which went on for 50 days, leaving 2,200 Palestinians and 70 Israelis killed, and causing large destruction in Gaza.

On Aug. 26, Israel and the Palestinians reached a cease-fire brokered by Egypt.

Abu Obeida also warned Israel that Hamas militants will treat Israeli hostages in the same way Israel is dealing with the Palestinian prisoners in its jails.

Earlier in April, Hamas armed wing for the first time unveiled that its militants were keeping four Israelis without giving further details on whether they are dead or alive. Endit