Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to destroying the Jewish state, while tens of thousands of Palestinians celebrated the terrorist group's 28th anniversary, the Jerusalem Post reports.
"Hamas vows to remain faithful to the liberation of Palestine and to keep its weapon directed at the Israeli occupation only," read a Hamas statement released on its English language website.
Hamas praised the recent wave of Palestinian terrorism plaguing Israel, calling it the "Jerusalem intifada," and encouraging others to engage in "heroic resistance against Israeli soldiers and settlers" in order to achieve "the right of return – a sacred, nonnegotiable individual and collective right." According to the statement, Hamas will "never compromise even one inch or grain of its soil or holy sites."
Hamas continues to be dedicated to the erosion of Jewish sovereignty in any form and does not distinguish between Israel proper and the Palestinian territories – viewing the entire land of Israel as an "occupation."
"Hamas will never recognize the Israeli occupation, and confirms that Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean is an Arab, Islamic country," the statement read. This rejectionist sentiment is at the core of Hamas' ideology, obstructing any potential for a meaningful peace settlement with the Palestinians.
Reinforcing that message, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal glorified Palestinian terrorists involved in recent attacks against Israelis, calling for the path of "Jihad, sacrifice, and blood" as the only way Palestinians can achieve their objectives.
"The Palestinians have reached the realization that negotiations with the (Israelis) are useless...the so-called peace process is futile. There is no peace. Only the path of Jihad, sacrifice, and blood (will bear fruit)," said Meshaal in a December 10 speech in Malaysia, translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) and reported by the Times of Israel.
Click here to view the MEMRI video clip.
"Weapons like Kalashnikovs or missiles are not at hand, but there are knives and cars with which to run over the enemies...By God, after the knives used by the people of the West Bank and Jerusalem, can anyone possibly have an excuse to abandon the path of jihad? Nobody can have such an excuse," stated the Hamas leader.
Palestinian terrorists have killed 20 Israelis in the past three months, following near-daily attacks targeting Jews.
Meshaal met with government officials and politicians in Malaysia last week with a delegation of senior Hamas officials. Malaysia is a major component of Hamas' international terrorist infrastructure, as the group actively recruits Palestinians studying at Malaysian universities to join Hamas for eventual terrorist attacks against Jews in Israel.
Two-thirds of the Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza support the current wave of terrorism targeting Israelis, a survey published Monday by the Palestinian Center or Policy and Survey Research (PSR) found. An equal number of Palestinians advocate for an even more violent uprising.