Haniyeh: No permanent ceasefire without an end to the siege

The Deputy Chief of Hamas’ Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh stressed that there will be no permanent truce without ending Israel’s siege on Gaza.

In a statement broadcast by Al-Aqsa TV, Haniyeh said that the sacrifices, rights and demands of the Palestinian people would not be “compromised”.

He renewed his support for the Palestinian delegation in Cairo saying: “We trust that they will not be blackmailed.”

Regarding the threats from Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who called for Haniyeh’s assassination along with other Hamas leaders should the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers not be handed back, Haniyeh said: “The enemy’s threats do not scare us. They increase out steadfastness.”