Yahya Sinwar (in center, with binoculars), the political chief in Gaza for the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib / Flash90.

JNS.org – Yahya Sinwar, the political chief in Gaza for the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, stated on Tuesday that the group’s military capability is better than ever, and reiterated that it will not disarm as part of a reconciliation deal with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party.

Although Sinwar insisted that Hamas is serious about finalizing a unity deal with Fatah, he refused demands for the terror group to disarm.

“The Palestinian people are still at the stage of national liberation, we cannot give up our weapons at this stage,” Sinwar said in a meeting with Palestinian labor union representatives. “The weapon of resistance is not the property of Hamas or its military wing, but of every Palestinian resident in Gaza.”

Sinwar also threatened Israel and boasted of the terror group’s new military capability, claiming, “We can strike Israel for a period of 51 minutes at the same level that we attacked Tel Aviv for 51 days (during Operation Protective Edge in 2014).”

Sinwar’s statements came after the US and Israel stated last week that they will not negotiate with any Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas, as long as the terrorist organization refuses to abide by the Middle East Quartet principles of disarming, renouncing terror and recognizing Israel.

Abbas also demanded that Hamas disarm and that militias in Gaza be disbanded in order for the PA to regain control of the coastal enclave by December.