
Khalil al-Hayya, newly elected Hamas political chief, delivered his first address pledging to unite Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem into a single Palestinian state, with Al-Aqsa Mosque as a central symbol of resistance. Jerusalem remains the epicentre of prophetic tension — the Bible identifies it as the city where the final battles of history will converge, and its contested status continues to draw every major geopolitical force into conflict. Zechariah 12:2-3 warns that Jerusalem will become 'a cup of trembling' and 'a burdensome stone for all people' in the last days, a description that grows more precise with every leadership declaration over the city.