Salah Al-Arouri, Deputy Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, spoke to the Press , highlighting the situation of Israeli prisoners, including senior officers, in Palestinian custody. Al-Arouri expressed Hamas’s determination to continue its struggle until the attainment of Palestinian freedom.
- As a people entitled to live in freedom and to rid themselves of occupation, we remain committed to upholding the sanctity of our principles. The Palestinian resistance and the Al-Qassam Brigades will not stand idly by while our sacred values are violated.
- The Israeli government convenes daily to plan actions against Palestinian prisoners. We refuse to accept the ongoing siege on Gaza or the incarceration of our people in Israeli prisons. The battle is ongoing, and the freedom of our prisoners is within reach.
- Among those in our custody are a significant number of Israeli prisoners, including high-ranking officers. We possess information that the Israeli military was preparing for an attack on Gaza and the West Bank. The occupation continues its aggression against our resistance and our people in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as against our sacred values.
- If the enemy seeks escalation, we are prepared to face it. We are ready for all possibilities, including a ground invasion. Our captured senior Israeli officers are assets in this regard.
- A ground invasion by the enemy into Gaza would be the best scenario for the resistance. We have no choice but to persist in this battle. Intensive international and regional contacts are ongoing regarding the developments.
- The battle is in its early stages, and now, the voice of the battle rises above all else. The plan is being executed as outlined, including the control of settlements and camps. It is crucial to emphasize that we do not target civilians, neither in killing nor in harming them.
- We have the right to live free, and our principles must be protected. Multiple parties are engaging with us to seek de-escalation, and we advise them to communicate with the aggressive occupier.
- Our people will impose defeat on the occupation and make them submit to our demands. Most of our operations in the West Bank are directed against settlers.
- While we receive intensive communication from various parties, the voice of the battle now dominates. The enemy will no longer feel secure, and we will surprise them everywhere. The confrontation in Palestine is expandable and escalatable
