Hamas: Third Intifada has started, Israel, PA cannot quell it

Senior Hamas member in Gaza Mahmoud Al-Zahar said yesterday that the third Palestinian intifada had already started and Israel and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will not be able to stop it, Alkhaleejonline.net reported.

“The popular uprising against the Israeli occupation and its settlers has started in the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip,” he said, “and it is going on to protect the Palestinians and their holy sites.”

In an exclusive interview, Al-Zahar said: “Everything we are seeing regarding Palestinian resistance proves that the spirit of fighting the occupation is still alive despite the challenges and continuous crackdowns.”

He stressed that the Israeli occupation knows very well that the Palestinian equation has already changed and it is “unable” to face the Palestinians with its military and technological equipment. “This proves the supremacy of the Palestinians,” he said.

In addition, he noted that the “qualitative resistance operations” carried out by Palestinians prove the “failure” of the Israeli security theory.

“Resistance in the West Bank and Jerusalem is still OK,” he said, “and the Gaza Strip is always sided with the choice of the Palestinians and their resistance against the Israeli government, which plans to crackdown on Palestinians and steal their land and holy sites.

Al-Zahar said Abbas is “unable” to quell this intifada, saying: “There are different sides inside the PA trying to stop the intifada, but the decision is not for them, but for the Palestinians and their resistance, which have been stronger than all conspiracies.”