Saleh Al-Arouri, Deputy Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas had an interview on 25 Aug 2023 with Al Mayadeen. This is what he had to say:
♢ We are believers, and we hope to conclude our lives with martyrdom, which we hold in high esteem, and that is the great victory in our eyes.
♢ The Israeli threat against my person does not change my beliefs and stances, nor will it alter my path by so much as an inch
♢ The proliferation of the Resistance across the entire West Bank is a nightmare for the occupation, striking panic and fear [within the ranks of occupation]
♢ the Resistance has foiled the policies of the fascist [Israeli] government, such as settlement expansion in the West Bank
♢ This extremist government will suffer a resounding defeat, which would lead to their withdrawal from the entire West Bank
♢ The leaders of the occupation government, with their extremist policies, will cause an all-out war in the region.
♢ Smotrich desires a major conflict that would allow him to displace Palestinians from the West Bank and the 1948 territories. Some in the cabinet are considering actions such as taking control of Al-Aqsa Mosque and dividing it, along with assassinations, knowing that this would lead to a regional war.
♢ If we reach the point of an all-out confrontation, Israel will face an unprecedented defeat in its history, and we are confident of that.
♢ We are preparing for an all-out war, and we are closely discussing the prospects of this war with all relevant parties.
♢ The all-out war will be a defeat for Israel, and we see that classical wars have changed, and this is evidenced by the conflict in Ukraine.
♢ Due to Israeli technological advancement and security cooperation, Resistance cells struggle to sustain themselves. However, the recent developments in the West Bank changed the situation; they are expanding the base of resistance operations and developing goals and means.
♢ Hamas has a vision that Resistance is the solution to confront the occupation, but our brother Abou Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] insists on international legitimacy and international institutions and rejects Resistance.
♢ We are ready to conduct a prisoner exchange deal, but the Netanyahu government is not ready yet.
♢ there are no understandings or prospects of understanding with Fatah to form a national unity government.” “We were offered the formation of a national unity government, and we rejected it unless legislative and presidential elections are held.”
♢ Our close relationship with Iran is natural, and it remains the same despite the rapprochement or divergence between Riyadh and Tehran.
♢ Perhaps there are shifts in Saudi Arabia, and we hope that they [the shifts] are in favor of the Palestinian cause and [we hope] that there would be no Saudi normalization with Israel, as rumored.
https://english.almayadeen.neT/news/politics/exclusive—al-arouri:-resistance-axis-preparing-for-all-out