Hamas has stressed that Israel’s ongoing siege on the Gaza Strip does not help maintain a state of calm in the area.

The movement’s spokesperson, Hazem Qasim, said: “The Israeli accusations against the movement saying that it exploits traders and ordinary people to smuggle money … and aid for terrorism are baseless and false and are aimed at tightening the ten-year-old blockade on the Gaza Strip.”

He added, “The occupation is undertaking a media and political campaign against Hamas in order to tighten the siege on the Strip and to justify it. The occupation is trying to gain legitimacy from the international community for the continuation of this unjust blockade and to break the will of the people and the resistance in Gaza.”

@ABC
Last line: A spokesman for Hamas in Gaza, Hazem Qasem, has called the allegations "lies."
There. That'll fix it.

— (((tamarisk))] (@tamariskinLA) August 8, 2016

Qasim called on the international community to put pressure on the Israeli occupation to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip.

He stressed that the Palestinian people will not respond to Israeli pressures.

(MEMO,  PC)