Hamas vows retaliation to Israeli attacks amid tension

By Yaser Albanna

GAZA CITY (AA) – The armed wing of Palestinian group Hamas has vowed to respond to recent Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, amid tension over U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Israel “will pay the price of breaking rules of engagement with the resistance in Gaza,” the Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement released on Sunday.

Two Palestinians were martyred on Saturday when Israeli warplanes carried out raids in the Gaza Strip following a rocket fire.

“The coming days will prove to the enemy that it has made a big mistake and miscalculated the resolve of the resistance,” the Brigades said.

On Wednesday, Trump announced U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and said the U.S. Embassy would be relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The dramatic shift in Washington’s Jerusalem policy triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories and several Muslim countries.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.