Gaza, Asharq Al-Awsat- Hamas launched a television channel Monday in the Gaza Strip to spread the group’s message.

Senior Hamas political leader Fathi Hamad said on Monday the “Al Aqsa Television”, named after the mosque in Jerusalem , will broadcast daily between 10 am and 11 pm . The first transmission test began on Monday.

Hamas already operates a radio station, “Voice of al Aqsa”. Encouraged by the radio station’s success, the group conducted a six-month feasibility study to examine whether a television station could be launched, according to Hamad.

The station aims to carry the group’s message to the Palestinian people and to the world, Hamad said.

“The aim of this step is to establish Islamic culture and an ideological, scientific and political vision that is in tandem with the spirit of Islam, and to spread information about important issues, he added.

Eventually, according to Hamad, Hamas hoped to inaugurate a satellite television channel, probably from Dubai, “to connect the Palestinian people with the outside world. The relation between the television and the satellite channel will be based on technical matters and media content such as programs and news.”