Hamas declares total war

Baku/10.10.23/Turan: In a statement issued today, Hamas has declared a state of general mobilization and proclaimed the  Friday as "the Friday of the Al-Aqsa Storm." They have further announced their intent to refrain from any hostage exchanges "until the end of the battle."

Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' politburo, conveyed the organization's position through an official Hamas blog, stating, "We have informed all parties who contacted us regarding enemy prisoners held by the resistance that their transfer to the Zionists will not happen until the end of our battle. And when we are ready to hand them over, we will do it only in exchange for a price acceptable to the resistance."

Haniyeh emphasized that the "Al-Aqsa Storm" operation was meticulously planned and executed solely by Palestinians, dismissing any involvement from Iran and Russia, which had been subject to considerable speculation in recent reports.

"The battle of Buri Al-Aqsa is a decisive Palestinian battle, and we firmly believe that all our compatriots should participate, particularly the resistance forces," he asserted. Haniyeh called upon revolutionary youth across the West Bank, in cities, villages, and camps, as well as in Jerusalem's neighborhoods and near the revered Al-Aqsa Mosque, to unite against what he referred to as "Zionist invaders and settlers."

According to available information, Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza currently hold more than 150 soldiers and civilians abducted from Israel.

Simultaneously, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) press service reported that in recent hours, IDF aircraft and naval vessels have conducted numerous strikes on terrorist organizations throughout the Gaza Strip. During the night, over 200 targets in the vicinity of Rimal and Khan Yunis were subjected to aerial bombardments. These included attacks on the military infrastructure of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, a weapons depot associated with Hamas located within a mosque, operational facilities used by Hamas militants, two operational headquarters of Hamas' anti-tank forces, infrastructure utilized by a senior Hamas official, a room within a multi-storey building in Al-Furqan, a mosque housing Hamas' operational headquarters, and two additional operational headquarters of Hamas.--0--