Palestinians inspect the remains of a house that was damaged during Israeli airstrikes on Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, on May 5, 2019. At least 20 Palestinians, including two infants and two pregnant women, have been killed in intensive Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Saturday evening. (Xinhua)
GAZA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Ismail Haniyeh, the politburo chief of Islamic Hamas movement, said on Sunday that achieving calm in the Gaza Strip is possible "if Israel shows commitment to the ceasefire."
Haniyeh said in an emailed press statement that "it is necessary to immediately start implementing the understandings to ensure better life for our people in Gaza by lifting the siege and ending the occupation of Israel."
"Otherwise, the area will see more rounds of confrontations," said Haniyeh, adding that his group's response is linked with the extent of aggression.
The Palestinian resistance groups' response does not aim at starting a war, but halting the aggression, protecting the Palestinian people and forcing Israel to stick to the ceasefire, he said.
Over the past two days, 20 Palestinian, including two infants and two pregnant women, have been killed in the intensive Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, which are in response to the barrages of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad delegations have been holding talks in Cairo with Egyptian security intelligence officials since Thursday on restoring clam in the Gaza Strip and easing the hard living situation in the enclave.
