The Hamas movement affirmed, on Tuesday, its "adherence to its right to resist the occupation and settler aggression until the establishment of the state of Palestine with Al-Quds as its capital," reiterating its rejection of all the plans of "Israel" to gentrify and Judaize Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa.

Hamas stressed in a press statement on the 14th anniversary of the Battle of Al-Furqan that "the enemy's plans will not succeed in granting them any sovereignty or legitimacy in Palestine, that Al-Quds will remain the capital of the Palestinian state, and that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the first qiblah of Muslims".

Moreover, Hamas stressed that "the Battle of Al-Furqan was a milestone in the history of our struggling people, where the resistance succeeded in accumulating strength and enhancing the ability to achieve victory after victory, starting with the Battle of Hajar Al-Sajil and not least the Battle of Saif Al-Quds."

Hamas also believed that the enemy wagered on its elimination, the obliteration of the Gaza-based resistance network, and the release of the captured Zionist soldier Shalit from the grasp of the Al-Qassam Brigades, but they failed to achieve any of their aforementioned goals.

Significantly, Hamas called on the prisoners, the resistance and the Palestinian people and urged them to "continue their heroic epic in defence of the land and Jerusalem until liberation and return."

Furthermore, the resistance group also addressed the international community, requesting it shoulder its responsibilities in curbing the occupation, exposing its crimes, and prosecuting its leaders before international courts.

"The Gaza Strip has been subjected to the largest and most violent raids since 1967, and the will of our people has not been broken and has not lost its resolve and remained committed to resistance until the aggression was defeated," said Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif Al-Qanoua.

"The Battle of Al-Furqan thwarted the goals of the Zionist occupation and shattered its dreams of overthrowing the resistance and liberating [captured IOF soldier in Gaza] Shalit, and today it is stronger and more determined," he added.

Al-Qanoua also stressed that what "Israel" has failed to accomplish since the Battle of Al-Furqan "will not be achieved by its extremist leaders in their fascist government, and as Olmert and Livni fell, Ben-Gvir and Netanyahu will also fail."

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For its part, the Palestinian Resistance Committees announced that the Battle of Al-Furqan "will remain an important milestone in the history of the conflict with the Zionist enemy, dispelling the illusion of overthrowing the resistance and establishing a new era."

The committees added that "the extremist Zionist government should be an entry point for the unity of our people by developing a political program of resistance and freedom from all agreements signed with this fascist entity."

On December 27, 2008, the Israeli Occupation Forces launched one of the fiercest battles against Gaza, dubbed "cast bullets," which sought to contain the Resistance in Gaza and lasted until January 18, 2009. 

Following the assassination of 6 Hamas militants in Gaza during that IOF operation, the Palestinian resistance responded to the occupation's aggression with a counter-operation called "Battle of Al-Furqan" which proved the resilience of the resistance both in Gaza and across Palestine.

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