A day before the flag parade kicks off tomorrow in Jerusalem, Hamas today (Saturday) issued another call for masses of Palestinians to arrive at the al-Aqsa Mosque. According to the Shihab news agency, Hamas claims that “it is the duty of everyone who is able to reach the mosque and to any point where the parade will pass. Our flag should be raised high and theirs should fall.”
“Our heroes must intensify the clash with the occupation soldiers and settlers along their route. Our flag should be raised high while theirs should fall so that their racist chants will disappear,” Hamas declared. In a statement, Hamas also called on Palestinians in Judea and Samaria and Israeli Arabs to confront the security forces “in an unprecedented way, so that tomorrow and the days after them they will have hell everywhere.”
On Thursday, Hamas sent a similar message to Israel, claiming that “it risks another war if the flag parade passes through the Old City.” Bassam Naim, head of the organization’s Department of Politics and Foreign Relations, urged international bodies to pressure Israel to change the route of the march, which is due to pass through the Nablus Gate.