Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Hamas urged the Palestinian people to engage in a general armed uprising (Intifada), Hamas spokesman Fevzi Berhum said on July 25, Turkish news agency Anadolu reported.
"The Palestinians must put up armed resistance to Israel to protect their rights," he added.
"Hamas does not intend to disarm until Israel liberates occupied Palestinian lands," the head of Hamas political bureau Khaled Meshal said earlier.
"First, Israel must disarm," he added.
"Israel says that civilians live in the Jewish settlements in Palestine," he added. "In reality, they are not civilians as they live in occupied Palestinian lands."
Meshal also stressed that the population of Gaza, which has been subjected to Israeli aggression, has the right to self-defense.
More than 800 civilians, including women and children were killed during the 'Enduring Rock' operation which started on July 7.
It is reported that the Israeli army lost 45 servicemen during the hostilities.