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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Hamas leader: Israel killing Gaza civilians, not our fighters
2009-01-04
Ma'an/Agencies -- A Hamas leader early on Sunday morning denied reports that armed groups affiliated with the Islamic movement had been killed by invading Israeli forces. Appearing on Al-Jazeera just after midnight on Sunday, Mousa Mohammad Abu Marzook claimed that "there are casualties, but they are of the people of the Gaza Strip, not us."

The Qatar-based network had reported Israeli claims that up to 13 Hamas fighters were dead. "We're defending our people, defending ourselves against this aggression," Abu Marzook insisted, noting that Israel has "the upper hand" in the ongoing conflict.

"We know they have the upper hand in the air and sea, but we know our land. We know ourselves very well," he added. "We will fight."

"We will fight the Israelis anywhere in the Gaza Strip, Abu Marzook warned, "the rights of the Palestinian people cannot be turned off."

On the prospect of a ceasefire, Abu Marzook said Hamas would consider it under certain circumstances. "If there is a ceasefire, if the gates are opened, we would deal with this kind of initiative."

"Discussions in the area (Gaza) at the moment are that France or Turkey could achieve a ceasefire," he said.

And commenting on reports from Israel that Hamas is using civilians as human shields, the Hamas leader rejected that civilians in Gaza have the means to protect themselves no matter where they are, saying, "We have no shelters; we have crowded refugee camps."

Finally, Abu Marzook denied reports that Arab countries had pressured Hamas to stop rocket fire. "Everyone is calling on Israel to stop their aggression," he noted.
Posted by:Fred

#18  That'd be Fight Club soap, but from goat.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2009-01-04 16:12  

#17  Barbara, when terrorists produce soap, I'm thinking of... ugh perish the thought
Posted by: European Conservative   2009-01-04 15:48  

#16  Killing Civilians?
OK let's check their OWN propaganda...

"Reference is made to the martyrs of the Israeli bombardment since Saturday reached 368 martyrs and more than 1700 injured, including a large number of serious injuries.

The Khalil Abu Shamala, director of Conscience Foundation for Human Rights to the martyrs of the 36 children and nine women in the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip."

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&langpair=auto|en&u=http://fpnp.net/arabic/%3Faction%3Ddetail%26id%3D15992&tbb=1

Now... 50% of Gaza inhabitants are women, 50% are people 17 and under.

Given the facts that they prefer to hide under the skirts of women and the cradles of babies this looks like DAMN PRECISE IDF-bombing of terrorists to me.

I think the IDF derves another round of pizzas

http://pizzaidf.org/
Posted by: European Conservative   2009-01-04 15:44  

#15  Gaza produces soap, Darrell?

Obviously for export only....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-01-04 15:33  

#14  Sorry, that's Gaza.
Posted by: Darrell   2009-01-04 15:26  

#13  Per CIA Factbook:
"Industries: generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs"
Posted by: Darrell   2009-01-04 15:25  

#12  Ethiopia has a higher GDP than Gaza?

That's pathetic. But then, so are the inhabitants losers of Gaza.

(It amazes me that either Ethiopia or Gaza has a GDP. Doesn't that require production of some kind?)
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-01-04 15:10  

#11  GDP per capita:
Israel $26,600
Iran $11,700
Lebanon $10,300
Egypt $5,000
Jordan $4,700
Syria $4,700
Yemen $2,500
Ethiopia $700
Gaza $600
Posted by: Darrell   2009-01-04 15:00  

#10  Imagine what Israel could be if it did not have to sink countless resources into managing the thugs next door.
Posted by: Darrell   2009-01-04 14:30  

#9  Judging by the number of muslim trolls today, Israel must REALLY be doing all right in Gaza. Sucks to be a muslim, kiddie001.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2009-01-04 13:46  

#8  Maybe there wouldn't be so many "civilian" deaths if Hamas "fighters" didn't hide among them and use them as shields/pawns...Ya' know?
Posted by: WolfDog   2009-01-04 12:37  

#7  Hamas Death Benefit Plan - You're killed in the line of Duty and HamAss will disclaim all knowledge of your existence - you automatically become a civilian.

I suppose it would save on paying those death benefits to the widows and children.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2009-01-04 12:23  

#6  
Posted by: OldSpook   2009-01-04 11:45  

#5  -- nothing but the short term exploitation of oil resources that are quickly becoming exhausted.

They can't even do that - they import westerners to develop the oil resources.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2009-01-04 11:09  

#4  I agree Gazans should protest murder and the destruction of property.

They could start by protesting the destruction and looting of state of the art greenhouses *given* to them when Israel withdrew. Those greenhouses could have fed many children and provided valuable exports so that Gazans could be self-sufficient and have self-respect instead of nursing a deep sense of grievance and remaining welfare ticks.

They could have protested the killings between Fatah and Hamas that have destroyed the peace there.

They could have had fewer children and concentrated on being a functional state rather than being shameless welfare recipients.

They should protest the lousy education their own political leaders provide to their kids. They should protest the massive corruption that diverts funds which could have been used for roads, education and building an industrial base.

I'm just getting warmed up regarding the things Gazans *should* protest.

What they do instead has sealed their own fate.

As for Israel, I notice you fail to mention that Israel has given full citizenship to Arabs and regularly provides state of the art medical care to Palestinians who hate them. Moreover, they developed many of those medical advances, as they have in many fields.

How much has the Muslim world developed? Nothing, despite billions of dollars and euros in aid for decades. Nothing - not in science, not in technology, not in literature, not economically -- nothing but the short term exploitation of oil resources that are quickly becoming exhausted.

'Palestine' was a poverty-stricken desert backwater until Jews returned to their ancestral lands and founded the state of Israel. In less than a generation, they made that desert bloom and created a thriving democracy - something that the many more numerous Arabs have still to achieve. If your eyes weren't so blinded by hatred and superficial propaganda, you would be calling on the Muslim world to learn a few lessons from Israel.

But it's easier to hate and to demand handouts than to work and build and achieve.
Posted by: lotp   2009-01-04 10:58  

#3  The Israelis are filthy murderers! They bully and provoke, then have the nerve to be surprised when people fight back. Here they torture with guns: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/05/hebron-settlers-shooting-israel-palestinians

Here they try to starve by plowing up fields and orchards about to be harvested: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1221142469693&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

And these are all incidents in the West Bank which is controlled by a government that Israel claims that it finds "acceptable".

If this is how they treat what they find "acceptable", then you can surely see how they treated Palestinians in Gaza.

If Israel has a right to murder and destroy because of rockets fired into Israel, then how is that Gazans don't have a right to respond to illegal destruction of property, torture of humans, starvation, and murder by firing the rockets in the first place?

Israel is the worst of what the 20th century had to offer. It defines humanity as only themselves, and everyone else as pawns or prey.

Madoff, a significant supporter of Israeli interests and his downfall is just the beginning of Israel's troubles in the 21st century.
Posted by: kaddie001   2009-01-04 08:33  

#2  the audacity....

we are getting our asses handed to us, but we would only accept a cease fire on the condition that the Israelis give us every thing we want and let us keep killing them...

sheesh (shakes head)
Posted by: Abu do you love   2009-01-04 01:18  

#1  there are casualties, but they are of the people of the Gaza Strip, not us

Us not being people of Gaza strip?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2009-01-04 00:22  

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