Hamas leader: Israel pushing region to war in next two years

Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas's political bureau who has often been tied to the terrorist movement's operations in the West Bank, warned that Israel will push the Middle East into a "broad, comprehensive, and very dangerous confrontation" within the next two years, in an interview with Al-Jazeera on Wednesday.

Arouri stated that the current government is "unprecedented in the history of [Israel]" and is "dangerous in every sense of the word."

"Most likely, it will cause a widespread conflict as a result of the practices in Al-Aqsa Mosque and what they are planning to do in the West Bank, and this will happen in the short term. We are talking about two to three years and during the remaining period of this government," said the Hamas leader.

"[The government] may also cause the outbreak of a regional war as a result of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's policies towards Iran and Hezbollah. Everyone must take into account that this government is definitely pushing the entire region - and in the near future during the next two years - into a broad, comprehensive, and very dangerous confrontation."

The Hamas leader added that the government is "causing division within the Zionist community," which he welcomed. READ MORE