Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem on Monday downplayed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu”s speech, which focused on deterrent messages towards terrorist organizations and hostile Arab countries.
Qassem noted that “Netanyahu’s words cannot put fear among our Palestinian people, who will continue to protect the identity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and in dealing with the religious war waged by the enemy.”
“Netanyahu’s speech is an attempt to turn the facts upside down, since the occupation is the basis of all tension, and they (the Israelis) are the ones who implement terror in an institutionalized and continuous manner, and our people are conducting a legitimate campaign to forcibly take their right to freedom and independence,” he continued.

“Netanyahu’s threats towards our Palestinian people, Syria, Lebanon and Iran illustrate that the Zionist entity poses a threat to the entire region and its interests,” he concluded.