Gaza City (Dispatches) –
Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza have pledged to continue protests to pressure the Zionist regime to remove its blockade and to allow for the reconstruction of Gaza following the recent 11-day assault by the occupying regime on the coastal enclave.
The factions, led by Hamas, held a news conference on Sunday afternoon in the east of Gaza, where protests took place on Saturday in which dozens of Palestinian protesters were wounded by the regime’s live fire.
In a joint statement released after the news conference, the groups – which also included Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), as well as other smaller factions – stated that “the Israeli occupation must bear the responsibility for its obstruction of the reconstruction of Gaza, and for the blockade”.
“We call on our people to continue their popular uprising in Gaza and to expand the points of engagement with the occupation, and our popular activity will proceed according to a plan … we will not accept the continuation of the siege.”
It came a day after Zionist troops shelled the besieged Gaza Strip, wounding at least 41 Palestinians, followed by the bombardment of resistance positions in the enclave.
The latest aggression coincided with the 52nd anniversary of the torching of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Al-Quds as protesters sought to draw the world’s attention to the blockade the regime and its allies have imposed on the besieged strip since 2007.
The crippling blockade of the besieged Gaza Strip imposed by the Israeli regime and its allies in Cairo has devastated the local economy and living conditions of the inhabitants in Gaza.

Egypt Closes Rafah Crossing

According to reports, Egypt blocked the Rafah crossing on its border with the Gaza Strip until further notice on Monday.
Hamas spokesman Iyad al-Bozom said the group had been informed by Cairo of the decision to close the border crossing in both directions, without divulging details.
Two Egyptian security sources were quoted as saying that the closure was made for “security reasons” following an escalation on Saturday between the Zionist regime and the Palestinian resistance groups, according to Reuters.
Rafah is the only crossing between Egypt and Gaza, where the Israeli-led blockade has placed severe restrictions on the movement of goods and people for years.
The Arab League on Sunday warned that the Zionist regime’s insistence on continuing its aggression in Al-Quds and at the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque compound poses a serious threat to international peace and security.