RNA - Hamas Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum, in a statement released on Thursday, hailed the efforts made by Mohammed Hajeila, the slain member of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades -- the military wing of Hamas -- and his comrades to intercept Israeli military aircraft striking the Gaza Strip, stressing that his movement stood with any anti-Israel faction, and would use its munitions at the proper time to target the right place.
He noted that Israeli aerial assaults would only increase the resilience and determination of the Palestinian nation, and spark more anti-Israel protests.
Earlier on Thursday, the Qassam Brigades stated that 31-year-old Hajeila had lost his life overnight after an Israeli fighter jet struck an observation site belonging to the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades in the eastern Shuja'iyyah neighborhood of the Gaza City.
The Israeli military frequently bombs the Gaza Strip, with civilians being the main target of such attacks.
According to Press TV, Israel has also launched several wars on the Palestinian coastal sliver, the last of which began in early July 2014. The military aggression, which ended on August 26, 2014, killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians. Over 11,100 others were also wounded in the war.
The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli siege since June 2007. The blockade has caused a decline in the standards of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty.
The Israeli regime denies about 1.8 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs with proper wages as well as adequate healthcare and education.
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