Hamas urges Gaza armed groups not to 'independently' launch rockets at Israel

Hamas on Wednesday urged other Gaza armed factions to not fire rockets into Israel.

Palestinian factions gathered to speak on Wednesday about tensions with Israel, Haaretz reported, amid Israeli forces' repeated attacks on worshippers in occupied East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Hamas's chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, said other Palestinians should not take unilateral measures, such as launching projectiles.

Sinwar hosted high-level figures from other Gaza factions at his office and urged dialogue between different armed groups.

The information released to the public on the meeting has been limited, save for a commitment to remain prepared.

Hamas appears to want to maintain calm in Gaza, despite the violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Gaza was subject to intensive bombing last year by Israeli forces, killing around 250 Palestinians including dozens of children. Rocket fire from Hamas and other Gaza militants killed 13 in Israel.

The Gaza factions said they believe Israel will continue its assaults on Al-Aqsa after the Jewish Passover festival finishes on Saturday, The New Arab's Arabic-language service reported.

"We, the factions in Gaza, will be a security blanket and provide defence for anybody in the [Al-Aqsa] mosque," high-level Palestinian Islamic Jihad member Ahmad Al-Madalal said following the discussions.

"We are in a state of utmost preparedness."

He also called for Palestinians across Palestine and Israel to "keep protecting" Jerusalem's sacred mosque, the third holiest in Islam.

On Monday, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani insisted Israel must cease its attacks against Al-Aqsa while on the telephone with Jordanian King Abdullah II 👇#AlAqsa #AlAqsaUnderAttackhttps://t.co/3yrCvQttH2

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) April 20, 2022

Hamas does not want a military confrontation with Israel, a political insider with the group said, according to Haaretz, and instead wants the Al-Aqsa issue resolved through the efforts of the international community.

Many Muslim countries, including Jordan and Turkey, have slammed Israeli violence at the mosque.

A rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel on Monday, with Israeli forces bombing the besieged Palestinian enclave in return.