Hamas stages mass wedding in Gaza

Gaza based Palestinian government, Hamas, in cooperation with the local society Ayadi Al-Kheir (Caring hands) organized on Thursday evening in a mass wedding festival for more than eighty couples.

A massive number of guests turned out for the event in Beit Lahiya, including ministers of government, Palestine Legislative Council (PLC) members and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.

Speaking at the celebration Haniyeh said, "We won over the siege in the battle of principles and steadfastness. This joy is proof of victory of the Palestinians over siege."

"Our greatest joy," he added, will be when "we return to the homeland which we have been expelled from, alongside the refugees, we will carry flags of victory to the Haram Ash-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary around the Al-Aqsa mosque)."

In his speech PLC member for Hamas, Musheer Al-Masri, spoke to Israel about the siege, saying "we will end pains; we will stop the suffering and draw out meanings of dignity and victory." These joys, he continued "come at a decisive moment when all conferences have failed and we have exhausted all options. We have collapsed the siege strategy through the steadfastness and resistance of the people."