Israel Warned against Planned Flag March in Occupied Al-Quds

The annual flag march by extremist Israeli settlers through al-Quds’ Old City this Sunday is regarded by Palestinians as a blatant provocation and a violation of their rights.

Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad said they will retaliate if Israel doesn’t change the planned route of the parade and tries to approach al-Aqsa mosque.

“They (Israeli settlers) can avoid a war and escalation if they stop this mad (march),” Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, told Reuters in Gaza.

People’s Youth Movement in al-Quds said it wants Sunday to be remembered as Palestinian Flag Day by raising the national flag on every house, square, and street.

The head of the Jerusalem (al-Quds) Committee against Judaization, Nasser Al-Hadmi, stated that the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and the threats of the resistance carry a clear and strong message that the confrontation with the occupying regime will be strong.

Meanwhile, Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said on Friday that Israel is determined to hold the flag march as scheduled on Sunday.

According to the Israeli premier’s office, Bennett called his security services and urged them to intensify their presence in preparation for the march.

“The march would indeed go ahead as planned,” Bennett declared during the phone call.

The flag march marks Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds in 1967. It was originally scheduled to be held on May 10, but Israel's right-wing groups shelved the controversial parade after police refused to authorize it and Hamas warned of the consequences.

Similar escalations were among the reasons that led to the 11-day war between the Israeli regime and Palestinian resistance forces in the Gaza Strip, who rose up in support of the people of occupied al-Quds in the face of Israeli atrocities.

The Israeli regime was eventually forced to announce a ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, which came into force in the early hours of May 21, 2021.