At the 25th Anniversary celebration of Hamas, chief Khaled Marshaal rejected compromise with Israel, and asserted that open conflict was the only path to Palestine's liberation.
"Palestine is ours from the river to the sea and from the south to the north. There will be no concession on an inch of land," pronounced Marshaal. "We are not giving up any inch of Palestine. It will remain Islamic and Arab for us and nobody else. Jihad and armed resistance is the only way."
Members of Fatah, Hamas' rival faction, also attended the rally. Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads Fatah, served as the state's representative during its successful bid for recognition in the United Nations.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu responded to the rally, stating: "What is interesting is that [Abbas], of all people, did not condemn [Marshaal's] words calling for Israel's destruction, just as previously he did not condemn the rockets fired at Israel [from Gaza]...And to my regret he is working for unity with this same Hamas, which is supported by Iran."
Palestinian Authority spokeswoman Nour Odeh echoes Netanyahu's claims, agreeing that "there is a political commitment to enshrine this sense of unity [with Hamas] in more than slogans following the UN bid."
In his speech Marshaal's rhetoric renounced Israel's legitimacy and reached out to Fatah, foreshadowing a united front backed b the two groups.
"I call on you to preserve the unity of the Palestinian people. Palestine is much larger than any one faction can take responsibility for, and resistance, whether armed or popular, is the basis for unity. We are all partners in the same homeland."
At large, the international community lauded Palestine's recognition as a non-member observer state as a step forward in the peace process, yet it remains to be seen how Hamas' reconciliation with the Palestinian Authority will direct future efforts among U.N. members to broker a compromise in the region.
"Over the last day, we have again been exposed to the true face of our enemies. They have no intention of compromising with us. They want to destroy our country," said Netanyahu. "We want a true peace with our neighbors, but we will not close our eyes nor bury our heads in the sand."
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