Mashaal Warns of New Palestinian Intifada If Blockade Not Lifted

Khalid Mashaal, the head of Hamas political wing, warned Palestinians will begin a third Palestinian Intifada (uprising) unless the blockade imposed on the Palestinian people is lifted within 6 months after forming the new national unity government.

“Hamas movement delegation came to Cairo to discuss three key issues: forming a national unity government, lifting the blockade and the prisoner swap, in order to discuss, after that, the Palestinian domestic issues like Jerusalem, the right to return and ending the occupation” said Khaled Mashaal in his press conference in the Press Syndicate in Cairo .

Mashaal pointed out that there is a considerable progress in the three main issues through negotiations with the Egyptian side and that concluding the issues of forming the government or the prisoner swap is not up to Hamas alone, as Hamas gives always more concessions to keep the unity of the Palestinian lines.

We in the Hamas-led movement and the resistance factions, Mashaal said, declared an initiative to stop launching missiles against Israel in return for ending the Israeli aggressions but Israel’s response was an outright rejection to the initiative, something that Israel used to do.

Mashaal also added that lifting the blockade isn’t a demand that we beg for, but it is a natural right for the Palestinian people and Hamas should not be expected to give something in return to order to end the unjust economic blockade

Mashaal confirmed that the international community has six months deadline to lift the blockade imposed on the Palestinian people; otherwise, there is only one option: the option of resistance, closing all political files and a complete collapse of the Palestinian Authority, which the United States and Israel are keen to preserve.

Asked by Ikhwanweb about the benefit of Hamas participation in the political process under the blockade, Mashaal said ” the option of withdrawing from the political process is a lot easier than being shouldered with the responsibilities of the Palestinian people, but we engage in the political process to ease the burdens on the Palestinian people and lead them to freedom and liberation.