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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas: Israel prompting Gaza violence |
| 2010-03-23 |
| [Ma'an] Multiple Israeli airstrikes on Gaza seek to disturb the peace and prompt a response in order to defer attention from Jerusalem, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar said on Sunday. Addressing a commemoration ceremony for Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, assassinated six years earlier by Israeli forces, Zahhar hinted that recent projectile launches were "conspiracies plotted by some collaborators," providing excuses for Israel to strike Gaza. "We respect resistance regardless of which factions are adopting it. Palestine belongs to all including us," Zahhar said, but reiterated his cation that Hamas "warns of some conspiracies plotted by collaborators." According to an Israeli military spokesman, 35 homemade projectiles were launched from the Gaza Strip toward Israel since the end of the country's Operation Cast Lead in 2009. Three were claimed by members of Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades, but later refuted by spokesmen. Zahhar said Hamas would not abandon resistance, nor would the movement give up on inalienable Palestinian principles. However, he said Hamas was evaluating its experiences of almost four years of Gaza rule. "Every experience should be reconsidered," he said, stressing that reconsideration "does not mean failure," but explained that it was part of the "process that Hamas initiates every year." The Hamas official called on both the UN and the Arab League to step up efforts, demanding actions rather than words. "Moon came to Gaza to say 'lift the siege' but [should have] taken practical steps through the UN Security Council and other international entities to end the siege," Zahhar said, noting Ban's comments were worthless "words we can't buy." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Hamas: "We's pure as the driven snow! Didn't you read the Goldstone report?" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-03-23 18:34 |