RESISTANCE fighters from Hamas today called on Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip to confront a flag-waving parade planned by Jewish nationalists through the main Palestinian thoroughfare in Jerusalem’s Old City.

The comments by Hamas added to the already heightened tensions ahead of Thursday’s march and threatened to reignite fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, just days after a ceasefire took hold. 

Two years ago, an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas erupted during the annual march.

While Hamas stayed out of the latest round of fighting, officials with the group urged Palestinians to oppose Thursday’s parade.

“We ask the people of Jerusalem to mobilise the masses to confront the march of the flags in Jerusalem tomorrow,” said Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas official in Gaza.

Hamas also urged Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and inside Israel to “clash with the occupation” and said it would hold a demonstration with Palestinian flags along Gaza’s heavily fortified frontier with Israel.

The parade is meant to mark so-called Jerusalem Day, Israel’s annual celebration of its capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 six-day war.

Each year, thousands of Israeli nationalists participate in the march through the Muslim Quarter and towards the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray.