The military wing of Hamas Palestinian Resistance movement warned on Thursday that an Israeli decision to annex areas of West Bank and Jordan Valley would be a ‘declaration of war’.
“The Resistance considers the annexation of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley as a declaration of war against our people and we will make the enemy regret that decision,” said the spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obaida.
He gave the statement to mark the 14th anniversary of the capture of Israeli soldier Giald Shialit by Hamas fighters in a cross-border raid via tunnels near the occupied territories.
Hamas held him captive for over five years, until his release on 18 October 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange for 1,000 Palestinians.
Abu Obaida also said that a new prisoner exchange deal with the Zionist entity is a priority for the Resistance group.
“We remind the Zionist enemy that there will be no deal without the release of senior prisoners and prisoners with blood on their hands,” Abu Obaida said.