Al-Arouri brandishes assault rifle in response to Netanyahu threats

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
27 Aug 2023 18:21

The deputy chief of Hamas' politburo, Saleh Al-Arouri, responds to the Israeli occupation's threats to assassinate him.

The head of Hamas' political bureau Saleh Al-Arouri publishes a photo in full combat uniform after Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released direct threats against him on Sunday, August 27, 2023 (Hamas bureau)

Hamas politburo deputy chief Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri appeared on Saturday donning military attire and brandishing a rifle, seemingly in response to the Israeli occupation's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's threats to have him assassinated.

"Hamas and the rest of Iran's auxiliaries are fully aware that we will fight with all means available to us against their attempts to sow violence against us in the West Bank, Gaza, and elsewhere," Benjamin Netanyahu said during a cabinet session on Sunday.

"The parties trying to harm us, and those funding and organizing them and promoting violence against Israeli will pay a hefty price," Netanyahu added.

In response to these statements, Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif Al-Qanou underlined that threatening to assassinate resistance chiefs is nothing new, "but the occupation will not succeed in achieving its goals."

Al-Qanou held the Israeli occupation responsible for any blunder it committed, "because it will set the whole region on fire."

Recent Israeli attempts to put an end to the rising wave of Resistance operations in the occupied West Bank have so far drastically failed, as per the occupation's confession. Rather, with every Israeli aggression, whether by a military attack or the detainment of Resistance fighters and leaders, a harder, more improvised operation takes place.

The occupation's crashing strategy of subduing Palestinians in giving up armed struggle as the main tool to fight the occupation has pushed "Tel Aviv" to consider explicitly readopting and implementing outdated policies, including targeted assassinations.

Given the continued erosion of Israeli deterrence and the exponential growth in Resistance capabilities, also as per its military and political leadership, this decision has never been more difficult.

In an exclusive interview for Al Mayadeen published on Friday, Al-Arouri mentioned that the Israeli occupation entity has a long history of carrying out assassinations and assassination attempts against Resistance leaders, but that this "does not change my beliefs and stances, nor will it alter my path by so much as an inch."

Hamas confirmed in the statement that the Palestinian Resistance will continue on the path of its martyrs and fight the occupation entity until all the nation's legitimate rights are claimed.

"Al-Arouri and all of his brothers, and our steadfast and steady Palestinian people, who presented a long convoy of martyrs, are continuing with determination and certainty in Resisting the occupation until all the legitimate rights of our people are restored, foremost of which is the liberation of Al-Quds and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque."

Also responding to Netanyahu's threats, senior Hamas official Ismail Radwan warned the Israeli PM against committing any foolishness by targeting Al-Arouri or any of the Resistance leadership.

Any foolish act "will be a disaster [for the Israeli entity]," Radwan stressed, adding that "the response will be unprecedented."

"Any crime against Al-Aqsa Mosque, the leadership of the Resistance, or our people" will not go unquestioned, he underlined.

The battle for liberation in the occupied West Bank is currently on the table, Al-Arouri confirmed during his interview with Al Mayadeen.

Palestine has now entered the era of resolving this conflict, as evidenced by the attempts at the Judaization of the West Bank and the deportation of Palestinians, Al-Arouri pointed out.