The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) , said on Sunday that raising the issue of disarming the movement in this “crude manner” represents an attempt to continue the genocide against the Palestinian people.
In a statement broadcast on television, the spokesman for the Qassam Brigades said that the movement would not accept such demands “under any circumstances.”
In the recorded speech, Abu Ubaida said that what Israel is trying to “ pass on the Palestinian resistance and the people of Gaza through our mediating brothers is extremely dangerous,” noting that the Palestinian side has fulfilled its obligations “with complete honesty and responsibility” in respect for the mediators’ efforts.
Abu Ubaida called on the mediators to pressure Israel to complete its obligations in the first phase before moving to the second phase, and demanded that the US administration be held accountable, considering that the Israeli side is the one obstructing the agreement, based on reports from the United Nations and international organizations.
He stressed that “raising the issue of weapons in this crude manner is nothing but a blatant attempt by the occupation to continue killing and exterminating our people,” adding that what the Israeli army could not seize by military force “it will not seize by politics and at the negotiating table.”
Abu Ubaida criticized Israel's continued targeting of civilians, the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque to worshippers, and the passage of a law authorizing the execution of Palestinian prisoners.
Abu Ubaida also criticized Israel’s continued targeting of civilians, the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque to worshippers, and the passage of the law to execute Palestinian prisoners , describing this as a “disgrace” to the countries that remain silent internationally.
Abu Ubaida said that the Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and the subsequent escalation on several regional fronts have contributed to widening the scope of tension and instability in the region.
He added that the war in Gaza and the "massacres" are still ongoing, noting that their repercussions have extended to other countries in the region, in reference to the escalating tensions in more than one regional arena.
Abu Ubaida pointed out that what is happening has, in his words, affected the international situation, considering that the continuation of military operations has led to a state of instability at different levels, and he placed the responsibility for that on Israel.
Abu Ubaida also accused Israel of expanding its military operations outside the Gaza Strip, pointing to strikes that have affected several countries in the region, including Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, in addition to tensions that have affected Qatar, which is playing a mediating role in the efforts to calm the situation.
He added that there was “further escalation” involving Iran, accusing Israel of being behind it and considering that this came in the context of what he described as undermining the paths of negotiation.
In a related context, Abu Ubaida said that the escalation in Lebanon came after a period of tensions and violations, considering that this represents a violation of the rules of international law.
This speech comes as the war on the Gaza Strip continues for months, in parallel with escalating regional tensions, amid ongoing international and regional efforts to contain the escalation and push for a ceasefire.
