Gaza - Saba:
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, stressed that the Israeli occupation's policies of targeting and assassinating its leaders will not weaken its resolve, but rather increase its determination to continue on the path of resistance and adhere to national rights and principles.
In a statement issued Thursday to mark the first anniversary of the assassination of the great Palestinian national leader Ismail Haniyeh, head of the movement's political bureau, Hamas said, "A full year has passed since the martyrdom of the great national leader, the martyr of Gaza, Palestine, and the Islamic nation, Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by the treacherous and criminal Zionist hand in a cowardly crime committed by the occupation."
The movement emphasized that the assassination policy pursued by the occupation against Hamas leaders and symbols has only strengthened the movement's adherence to the rights of its people and its entrenchment in the struggle and resistance until the occupation is defeated and eliminated.
It added, "The martyred leader's career was full of contributions in the areas of organizational, student, political, and resistance work, from the movement's inception following the First Intifada, through stages of struggle, his tenure as prime minister, and leadership of the political bureau, all the way to his martyrdom far from his homeland." Hamas noted that the martyr's bloodshed in Tehran, his body buried in Doha, and his political and diplomatic tours will remain a testament to his commitment to the national cause, Palestinian unity, and his struggle to liberate the land and holy sites.
The statement emphasized that Haniyeh's martyrdom "was not merely the end of a journey, but rather a historic milestone for a leader who offered his sons and grandchildren as martyrs and concluded his life in the arenas of political and field work, on the path to Quds." The statement added that Haniyeh joined the ranks of founding leaders who embarked on the path of resistance.
The movement called for August 3 of each year to be designated a national and international day in support of Gaza, Quds, and the prisoners, and an occasion to renew the pledge to continue the movement until the war on the Gaza Strip is halted, the siege is broken, and the occupation is defeated. Hamas said, "We pledge to remain loyal to the martyred leader Abu al-Abed and to all the martyrs of our people. We will continue on the path of resistance, defending the land and holy sites, and realizing our people's dream of freedom, independence, and the establishment of our Palestinian state with Quds as its capital."