Hamas made this statement on the third day of Operation al-Aqsa Storm, the largest military operation against the regime in decades.
"The battle of al-Aqsa Storm is a legitimate right for our people to defend themselves, their land, and their sanctities, in light of the continued aggression of the occupation and the silence and failure of the world to put an end to its escalating terrorism, and its denial of all the rights of our people and their aspirations to liberate their land and achieve a return to it," Hamas declared.
During this operation, resistance groups in the besieged Gaza Strip have launched more than 5,000 rockets at the occupied territories since Saturday. Israeli media outlets have reported over 900 settlers and troops killed, with more than 2,600 others injured as a result.
Hamas cited several reasons for the large-scale military operation, including the escalating violations by Israeli settlers against the al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied Old City of al-Quds and the regime's obstruction of Muslim worship. Additionally, they denounced Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds, along with Israel's escalation of violations and crimes against Palestinian prisoners.
The resistance movement also highlighted "the brutal war waged by the fascist occupation regime against our people in the occupied West Bank, and the policy of segregation, racial discrimination, and ethnic cleansing," as well as "the continuation of the unjust siege on the Gaza Strip for more than 16 years, and the catastrophic effects it has had on more than two million Palestinian citizens."
Hamas renewed its call "to all countries of the world, to assume their political and humanitarian responsibilities, to do justice to our people and support their legitimate struggle for freedom and self-determination, and to establish their independent, fully sovereign state with al-Quds as its capital, and to end the longest and most dangerous ongoing occupation in the world."
Since the early hours of Saturday, the large-scale, multi-pronged operation has featured heavy rocket barrages and surprise attacks by resistance fighters against Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied territories. Palestinian resistance leaders have described the operation as a decisive response to the Israeli regime's relentless campaign of bloodshed and destruction.
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has accused Israeli forces of “mass killing crimes against civilians” in Gaza.
“The Israeli forces are taking revenge on Palestinian armed factions by committing mass killing crimes against civilians,” the group said of Israel’s relentless bombardment of densely populated areas, as it posted a photo on social media of a leveled neighborhood.
Israel has launched a bombing campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip, killing more than 700 Palestinians.