In a message to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, has asserted that Israel’s aggression in the Gaza Strip amounts to “war crimes.”
Haniyeh, in a statement, said, “The heinous aggression and horrifying violations by the Israeli occupation army against our Palestinian people in Gaza all qualify as war crimes under the Fourth Geneva Conventions.”
He called for immediate pressure on the Zionist occupying authorities to cease these crimes and to respect international humanitarian law commitments.
Furthermore, Ismail Haniyeh affirmed the Palestinian people’s right to struggle for liberation, independence, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
In a speech last Saturday, Haniyeh stated, “Our goal is clear: to liberate our land, our holy sites, our captives, and our prisoners. This is the objective that elevates this battle to the level of heroism and bravery.” He added that Gaza is erasing the disgrace of defeats and submission from the nation.
It’s worth noting that last Saturday, Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza launched “The Aqsa Tempest” in response to continuous Israeli assaults on the Palestinian people and their properties, particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem.
In contrast, the Israeli military initiated “Operation Iron Swords” and continues its intensive airstrikes on various areas in the Gaza Strip, home to over two million Palestinians who have endured deteriorating living conditions due to Israel’s continuous siege since 2006.
