Hamas' fighting capabilities stronger than ever, spokesman suggests

July 7 (UPI) -- Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for Hamas ' al-Qassam Brigades , delivered a speech Sunday in which he suggested that the Palestinian militia's fighting capabilities are stronger than ever.

"Nine months and our resistance has not been exhausted, nor has it relented, nor has it subsided, as we are still fighting in Gaza without support or external supply of weapons and equipment," Ubaida said in the message.

He added that the Palestinian civilians in Gaza are persevering through the war without food, water, or medicine as they face a "criminal and unjust war of extermination."

While Israel has blamed its war in Gaza on Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in which fighters took around 251 people captive and killed 1,189 others, Ubaida said that was not the start of the militia's resistance to Israeli occupation.

Ubaida said the October attack came after "decades of oppression, injustice and tyranny of the Zionist gangs" towards Palestinians and their land. His comments come as Hamas has accepted a proposal for a cease-fire to which Israel has not yet agreed.

Fighters in Gaza have been up against the might of the Israeli military, with weapons and financial backing from the United States and its allies, Ubaida said. He pointed out that Israel has been caught using "human shields ."

Ubaida said that in each battle with Israeli troops, Palestinian fighters become more advanced and developed with their military capabilities. And Hamas continues to be able to recruit new fighters wanting to aid in resisting Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

Meanwhile, though Israel has suffered comparatively fewer casualties, al-Qassam Brigades fighters have learned to rehabilitate and restore seized Israeli equipment and missiles, Ubaida claimed.

Palestinians have been increasing their resistance to Israeli fighters in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in response to Israel's ongoing "genocide" against Palestinians, Ubaida added, giving "salutes" to resistance fighters in the West Bank.