Ismail Haniyeh stands up for his people

At a press conference Ismail Haniyeh said that the swap, which saw Israel free over 1,000 Palestinians in exchange for the IDF soldier who was taken captive, was "a historic victory, since it cancelled all of the Zionist entity's red lines."

Haniyeh reserved special praise for Egypt, "which had a decisive role" in mediating the prisoner swap.

"Hamas is determined to protect Egypt's interests, stability, and security," the Islamist leader said.

"But the prisoner file remains open and will not close until all of the prisoners are released," Haniyeh told an assembled crowd.

The Hamas leader called on Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas to halt all peace negotiations with Israel. Haniyeh said there would be no security or stability in the region "as long as Al-Aqsa mosque is in danger."

Haniyeh criticized the Ramallah-based PA for maintaining security cooperation with Israel, the result of which is "harming the cause of resistance."

"Thousands of fighters above ground and underground are ready for the big campaign in which all of Palestine will be liberated," Haniyeh said.

A senior Hamas official said Friday that the abduction of Schalit was not the first, and he will not be the last Israeli soldier to be abducted so long as there are Palestinian in the "enemy's" jails.

Issat al-Rishq made the remarks in Qatar, Israel Radio reported. Al-Rishq is the spokesman for the Islamist organization's Qatar bureau. He made the statement to mark two years since the release Schalit who was freed in 2011 from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in exchange for 1,027 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

He further warned that he and all those dedicated to the Palestinian cause were closely monitoring developments in al-Quds and Israel’s Judaization of al-Aqsa. He warned that Palestinians stood ready to defend their land and their faith against the oppressor.

He said, “Israel must stop profaning al-Aqsa, because the flames of anger such violations will generate will of such force and violence that no one and nothing would be able to tame it.”