GAZA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement's chief in the Gaza Strip warned Israel on Tuesday against waging a new war with his group's militants.

"We will break the defeated occupation army if it enters the Gaza Strip and shower the Israeli cities with barrages of rockets, if the occupation (Israel) tries to engage in a war with us," Yahya Sinwar told reporters in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave.

Earlier the month, six Hamas militants were killed by Israeli soldiers while heading to the border area between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel for carrying out armed attacks.

"Yes ... the operation in eastern Khan Younis, which was carried out by Hani Abu Sallah on August 1, was a heroic commando one," Sinwar confirmed.

He warned Israel against waging a new war on the Gaza Strip, amid reports that Israeli troops could launch an attack.

"If a war occurs, we will strike on the occupation army and break its power once and forever," Sinwar said, adding "we are not joking."

Asked about the weekly anti-Israel March of Return and Breaking the Israeli Siege held by Palestinian protesters near the border with Israel, Sinwar said "our march will go on until it achieves its goals."

Hamas militias seized control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after routing out the security forces of secular Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Efforts to end the internal Palestinian split and achieve unity have so far failed.

"We will carry on with our efforts on the road of ending the internal division and achieving national unity based on the Palestinian project of resistance, liberation and return," said Sinwar.