Ismail Haniyeh
Ismail HaniyehReuters

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to cease restricting the activity of the struggle and intifada in Judea and Samaria, in order to bring about a general "confrontation" with the "occupation."

Speaking in Gaza at a conference marking the International Day for Jerusalem, Haniyeh said the PA "needs to make clear decisions and put an end to the Oslo Accords. It should not attempt to find a new sponsor for peace."

According to the Hamas site Al-Risala, Haniyeh emphasized that "no one has the authority to give up Al-Quds," and "it is inconceivable that we will abandon Al-Quds or leave it the way [we left] Al-Andalus and other places. Al-Quds is the religious and political capital of Palestine, and it is the moral (capital) of all free people in the world."

Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem. Al-Andalus, also known as Muslim Spain or Islamic Iberia, occupied during medieval times much of what is today Spain and Portugal.

Haniyeh called on the Islamic nation to create a strategy to combat the "conspiracy being concocted in the US, including the acceptance of new decisions regarding the Palestinian problem. This includes, for example, cancelling the [PA Arabs'] right of return, and recognizing Israel's Jewish character."

According to Haniyeh, US President Donald Trump does not have the authority to give Jerusalem to Israel. Not only that, there is no country called "Israel" to which Trump can give a capital city.

"The Palestinian nation is determined to continue its battle for Al-Quds until the end, even if doing so will cost a high price in lives, as long as it succeeds in thwarting the decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital," he said.