Head of Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday evening called on residents of the occupied Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah to remain committed to their stance against an Israeli court’s compromise. 

Speaking at a political forum held on the anniversary of the ill-fated Balfour Declaration, Haniyeh stressed that the Sheikh Jarrah’s residents managed to overcome the “political trap” laid for them and honored the “blood that spilled during the Sword of Al-Quds battle in defense of Jerusalem and the Sheikh Jarrah.”   

Enormous pressure was exerted on the Sheikh Jarrah residents who were tempted into giving up their ownership of their homes, Haniyeh pointed out.   

Haniyeh reaffirmed that all Palestinian resistance movements, Palestinians, and the Arab and Muslim world are backing the residents of Sheikh Jarrah.

“The steadfastness expressed by our Palestinian people, which coincided with the Balfour Declaration anniversary, confirms that rights are not abolished by the passage of time,” noted Haniyeh. 

Haniyeh continued: “The Sword of Al-Quds battle reflected the capability of Palestinian resistance which has adopted a strategy of accumulating power.”      

He explained that the Israeli occupation had failed to isolate Gaza from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories and to deter the Palestinian resistance from defending Palestinian national issues. 

As for normalization with the Israeli occupation, Haniyeh pointed out that the Israeli attempts to integrate into the region had not influenced the Arab and Muslim awareness, citing the Jordanian people “who have paid the price of their stance against the “deal of the century”, resettlement, and alternate homeland for Palestinian refugees.”  

Despite the economic hardships facing them, Haniyeh added, the Jordanian people are determined and ready to spare no effort for the sake of liberating Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

Haniyeh demonstrated the Palestinian liberation struggle is based on three key pillars at the Palestinian, Arab, Islamic, and international levels, noting that the Palestinian cause is a humanitarian, Arab and Islamic issue that may be affected by domestic, regional, and global dimensions. 

“Special responsibility lies with the Palestinian people as they are the spearhead of the Ummah and the world in the face of this settler-colonial occupation,” he added. 

He continued: “The liberation theory is based on remaining committed to all rights and constants and not abdicating any of which under any circumstances.” 

The Hamas chief reiterated the necessity to accomplish Palestinian unity on the basis of Palestinian constants and the resistance option, as well as restructuring the Palestinian leadership bodies. 

Haniyeh reaffirmed the necessity of all Palestinians to get involved in the Palestinian liberation project. 

He called on the Arab and Muslim nations to unite, end their internal conflicts, and agree on historical compromises between them.   

At the international level, the top Hamas official pointed out that his movement is exerting strenuous efforts to change the atmosphere on a popular global scale at least.

“There has been a shift in the Western popular attitude towards the Palestinian cause,” Haniyeh explained, confirming that economic and academic boycotts of the Israeli occupation reflect a change in the international popular attitude.  
 
Haniyeh concluded: “We need to devote efforts and establish Palestinian lobby groups around the world to face off the Israeli lobby.”