Hamas Spokesperson Hazem Qassem asserted on Saturday that the airstrikes launched by the Israeli occupation on Syria constitute a crime, stressing that Hamas stands by Damascus.

“We assert our support for Syria against this aggression, and we will continue to develop and strengthen relations with our Syrian brothers in order to further empower us as a nation to face this escalating aggression", he added.

Qassem’s remarks came after the Syrian air defenses intercepted last night an Israeli missile attack in the airspace of Damascus and the southern region.

"The Zionist enemy's expansion of its aggression in the region aims to add pressure to the nation's vital powers and prevent them from expressing their solidarity with the Palestinian cause," he said.

Qassem emphasized that "uniting in the face of the Israeli enemy is the most appropriate response to its aggression and colonial behavior against the Palestinian people, the Arab nation, and the entire region."

On September 15, Hamas announced in a statement that it would restore its relations with Syria, which "has been supporting the Palestinian people and the Palestinian resistance factions for decades."

On his account, Hamas deputy political leader Khalil Al-Hayya said that the meeting between Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and the Hamas delegation to Syria saw the former pledging support from Syria to the Palestinian people and resistance.

"We declared to President Al-Assad that we support Syria, its sovereignty and territorial integrity and that we are against any aggression targeting Syrian soil," the Hamas deputy leader added. 

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