Hamas protests on the Gaza-Israel border
Hamas protests on the Gaza-Israel borderAbed Rahim Khatib/Flash90

The Hamas terror group, which acts as Gaza's de facto government, warned that there may be another round of fighting if the Israeli "occupation" does not end its "siege" of Gaza.

In an interview with Quds Press, Hamas spokesman Khazem Qassem said that "the organizations of the struggle will have a clear stance on this issue. A continuation of the siege is one of the lighting strikes that can hit at any moment."

"The organizations of the Palestinian struggle are not able to stand with their hands folded when they see the siege and the collective punishment imposed on the Gaza Strip, since our nation has the right to live in freedom and honor, and this right cannot be taken by force, and we cannot negotiate over this basic issue.

"The organizations of the struggle act in a coordinated and collective fashion and examine the steps according to their estimates and reading the ground on both a diplomatic and operational level, and the negotiations which are being managed with the many brokers, in order to bring about an end to the siege on Gaza.

"We will not allow the occupation to utilize every political stance in exchange for our just goals, such as rehabilitation [in Gaza], bringing in aid, removing the siege, and ensuring freedom of movement for people and merchandise."

Though Hamas often claims Israel has placed a "siege" on Gaza, in fact Gaza shares part of its southern border with Egypt.

Egypt usually keeps the Rafah Crossing closed, to protect its own interests, but Israel routinely allows both people and merchandise to cross in and out of Gaza via the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossing points.