Fighters of the terror group Hamas at the rally marking its 29th anniversary in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90.

JNS.org – The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas marked its 29th anniversary with a mass rally in the Gaza Strip Wednesday. Tens of thousands of Palestinians rallied in support of the Islamist terrorist group, which used the event to threaten Israel and boast of its grid of terror tunnels, with Arabic and Hebrew billboards reading, “We are coming from under the ground.”

Loudspeakers blasted the group’s slogans through the streets as the throng walked through Gaza City. Rockets mounted on pickup trucks rolled by as hundreds of masked militants marched alongside dozens of children wielding toy rifles.

Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya delivered a fiery anti-Israel speech at the rally. He also called for reconciliation with the Fatah party, led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, but only under Hamas’ terms.

Al-Hayya stressed that Gazans should enjoy freedom of movement, job opportunities and access to clean water and constant electricity, but he offered no plans to realize these needs.

For some Palestinians, the message behind the large display of arms was to show the local population that the Islamic movement will not tolerate any revolt.