Hamas, Jihad urge Palestinians to confront Israel

Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have issued a joint call to all Palestinian factions to confront the "Zionist…

Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have issued a joint call to all Palestinian factions to confront the "Zionist aggression".

"Hamas and Islamic Jihad call for confronting the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people," Hamas said in statement after a meeting with top Islamic Jihad officials.

It urged Palestinian factions to cooperate in the fight against Israel and called on Arabs and Muslims to back the Palestinians financially, materially, politically and in the media.

The statement came the same day as three Israeli airstrikes in five hours on Gaza killed three Palestinians, including two Hamas militants. It did not mention the strikes.

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The statement said the groups issued the call after a meeting headed by Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal and Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah, in which they agreed to strengthen "bilateral cooperation" both at home and abroad.

It did not say when or where the meeting took place.