Chief of Hamas Political Bureau Khalid Meshaal stressed on Sunday that Al-Aqsa Mosque would be lost should the current intifada be quelled, calling for the Palestinian factions, mainly Fatah, to support and adopt it, Quds Press reported.
While speaking on Al Jazeera, he said: “My call to Fatah, the faction which has a long history of resistance, to join the intifada because this is a good gain for all the Palestinians.”
He noted that some of the parties and sides are still “hesitant” regarding the intifada, stressing it needs a “real fatherhood” to survive “conspiracies” against it.
Is this the Third Intifada?
Rising tensions in the Occupied Territories have led to dozens of deaths and hundreds of clashes.
Are we witnessing the Third Intifada?
Meshaal said that the intifada had undermined the Israeli Jewish project of partitioning Al-Aqsa Mosque and returned the Palestinian cause to the top headlines of the regional and international agendas.
The top Hamas leader said that the intifada aims to “deter” the aggression of the Israeli Jewish settlers, “protect” Al-Aqsa Mosque and end the occupation. He reiterated that his movement supports the intifada.
“Palestinian resistance will continue as long as there is occupation,” he said, “no coexistence with the occupation or settlement.”
He warned that if the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu carried out his threats against Al-Aqsa Mosque, he would “accelerate” the end of the “illegal Zionist occupation”.
Regarding the internal reconciliation, he said: “We want the intifada to be the common ground for the reconciliation today. We want to implement the reconciliation on the ground of partnership not replacement.”
Also read: