The Palestinian factions on Sunday threatened reprisal over the flag march, trying to skew the narrative in their favor after their threats of mass riots and rocker fire if the march goes through the Muslim Quarter and Damascus Gate in east Jerusalem, proved hollow.
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Statement by Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and Palestinian Authority officials attempted the paint the increased police presence on the ground as a sign of Israel's weakness and lack of sovereignty in the capital, and its inability to deal with Palestinian "resistance."
"The battle with Israel is open and the events in Jerusalem do not mean that the occupation has sovereignty over Al-Aqsa [Mosque]," Hamas said in a statement.
In an interview with Al-Mayadeen, a Hezbollah-affiliated TV station in Lebanon, Hamas spokesperson Abd al-Latif al-Qanaoui said that "what happened in al-Aqsa is another stop in the conflict that will not end except in the disappearance of the occupation off our land.
"We are united in support of the resistance on all fronts, in confronting the occupation and in foiling its plans. Jerusalem's residents showed heroic steadfastness in the face of the occupation.
"Israel was scared and in panic and it recruited all of its resources to allow the flag march. But even so, sovereignty on al-Aqsa is Palestinian," he stated.
Sources close to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who resides in Qatar, said he was contacted by "various parties" seeking to ensure tensions do not escalate but he refused to offer guarantees, saying, "What happened in Jerusalem was unforgivable and the resistance will continue until we eradicate the occupation from our land."
Palestinian Islamic Jihad official Khader Habib warned, "The resistance is preparing for a response that will have a major impact on the conflict with the enemy. The case is not closed and the resistance knows how to teach Israel a lesson it will not forget."
Former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Sheikh Ekrima Sa'id Sabri told Al-Jazeera: "What happened [in Jerusalem] hasn't happened since 1967. Israel will be fully responsible for any escalation. … This was a hate parade. Israel is trying to Judaize all of Jerusalem."
Adnan Ghaith, head of the Palestinian Authority's Quds Governorate stated, "Sovereignty in occupied Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinians. Israel has turned Jerusalem into a military base and wants to drag the entire region into a religious war."
Commenting on Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's remarks saying Jerusalem will "forever remain united under Israeli sovereignty," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' office said in a statement, "East Jerusalem will forever remain the capital of the state of Palestine.
"One cannot hope for peace and stability in the region as long as Israel continues with its war against the Palestinian people and acts as if it is above the law. [Bennett's] statements do not legitimize the occupation in Jerusalem – the city and its holy places is not for sale."
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