NEWS FROM ISRAEL
Hamas: Israel has two options – death or leaving Palestinian lands
Haaretz reports: “The head of Hamas’ armed wing warned Israel against launching any new military action in the Gaza Strip, accusing Israel of attempting to escalate the situation. The statement came after days of renewed rocket fire on Israeli communities and Israel Defense Forces strikes in Gaza.
Hamas would not rest until Israel was ousted from Palestine, said Ahmed al-Jabari, leader of the Izz a-din al-Qassam Brigades, adding that Israel had two options to leave Palestinian territories or face death. He said that Hamas resistance would continue as long as Zionists remained in Palestine.
Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida ALSO warned Israel to refrain from any further aggression in the Gaza Strip, at a news conference in Gaza to mark the second anniversary of Operation Cast Lead, a three-week IDF incursion aimed at halting rocket fire on Israel’s southern communities from the strip.
We are now stronger than before and during the war, and our silence over the past two years was only for evaluating the situation, Abu Obeida told the news conference. We won’t face the current attempts of the enemy to escalate the situation with silence.
Abu Obeida said that the news conference was being held to mark the second anniversary of the Gaza war, and the 23rd anniversary of the founding of Hamas ” (The Islamic terrorists are from numerous Muslim nations. Under different Holy War labels they want to destroy the Jewish race. Palestine is the name of their country since Israel is not even an approved state or nation according to them. Knowing this helps one to understand the above lies and distortions of history. Consider the following: 1) God called the Jews home from many nations Ezekiel 36:24; Amos 9:15. 2) The returning Jews restored Palestine to its former name Israel. 3) The name Israel and its people will see an attempt by Islamic terrorists to rid the world of Jews Psalm 83:4. 4) The anti-Semitic terrorists will fail – Isaiah 56:5. See also the next three reports.)
Hamas commander: Israel will disappear
YnetNews.com reports: “Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas’ military wing, said the Palestinians will not give up their struggle until Israel ceases to exist.
In a statement issued to mark 23 years since the Islamist group was founded, Deif also vowed to release all Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. We promise to release them and break the (prison) bars despite the occupiers’ efforts, he said.
In a direct message to Israel, Deif said, You will disappear and we will have Palestine. We wont wave a white flag as long as even one Muslim remains.
Ahmed Ja’abri, another top commander in the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, issued a statement of his own on a Hamas-affiliated website. On the anniversary of the war of God’s seal (referring to Operation Cast Lead) we say to the enemy that we are willing to face any new Zionist crime, the statement read ”
Abbas: No Israeli presence in future state
YnetNews.com reports: “Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that in the future Palestinian state there will be no Israeli presence.
While touring Ramallah, Abbas rejected the possibility that Israeli soldiers would remain stationed along the borders of the future Palestinian state or will be a part of an international force that will deploy there.
We are prepared to move toward peace based on international resolutions, the Road Map and 1967 borders, but when a Palestinian state is established it will be empty of any Israeli presence, said the Palestinian leader.
If a Palestinian state is established with Jerusalem as its capital, we will object to the presence of even one Israeli in its territory. This is our position, he said ”
Hamas leader in Gaza vows group will never recognize Israel
Haaretz reports: “Hamas will never recognize Israel, Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday at a rally to mark the 23rd anniversary of the militant group’s founding.
We say it with confidence as we said it five years ago when we formed our government, and we say it today: We will never recognize Israel, Haniyeh told a crowd in Gaza City numbering tens of thousands.
A poster at the rally featured photographs of Hamas leaders assassinated by Israel in the last 10 years.
Hamas will be the faithful guard of the Palestinian people’s rights and the basic Palestinian principles, Haniyeh continued.
We say today that there will be no occupation of the land of Palestine and then we can say there is no future for the occupation on our land. I mean from the sea to the river and from Rafah up to Naqoora.
The rally featured a scale model of Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque under a slogan proclaiming that We Remain Committed to the Covenant.
Hundreds of teenagers and children, wearing off-white uniforms and green caps, marched through Gaza City, whilst Hamas officials handed out chocolates and candy with a card saying it came from Hamas with love. ”
Fayyad says Palestinian state possible by 2011
The Jerusalem Post reports: “A senior Palestinian Authority official said the PA may withdraw its recognition of Israel if the diplomatic process doesn’t yield results, even as PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad told Israelis there has been a change in the Palestinian mindset and they are fully committed to non-violence.
Fayyad, in a Channel 2 interview taped at the Saban Forum in Washington, expressed optimism about the prospects of a peace agreement, saying it is possible to get this process to move forward as long as there is a dialogue on the core issues.
Fayyad said he was optimistic that a Palestinian state could be established by August 2011. In the past too much time was wasted on the process, but we should not be discouraged because we have failed before, we should not give up, he said.
Regarding whether the Palestinians would seek a UN Security Council resolution recognizing a Palestinian state, Fayyad said, We are looking for a state of Palestine, not a unilateral declaration of statehood.
Asked if the Palestinian people would support a peace agreement Fayyad said that there has been a fundamental change in the mindset of the Palestinians and that the Palestinian people are fully committed to non-violence.
Fayyad concluded that I think its time for the expectations to be set high and that we have to believe that this can happen in order for it to happen. ” (A global dictator will arise to power on a peace contract covering seven years Daniel 9:27. A week in this text is a Shabua — Hebrew for seven years. In order for this to happen there must be a division of the land and Jerusalem. This lasts for only forty-two months. Then World War III begins because of the division of Israel and Jerusalem Joel 3:2.)
Nasrallah: Hizbullah stronger, no longer scared of Israel
The Jerusalem Post reports: “Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that recent warnings made by Israeli officials that Lebanon would be dealt a heavy blow if Hizbullah attacks Israel do not scare the Shi’ite organization and will not cause it to change its goals, reported Israel Radio.
During a speech to mark the Shi’ite Muslim Ashoura festival, Nasrallah said that gone are days in which Israel threatened or intimidated his organization. He added that Israel has been waging a psychological war that has failed, and that Hizbullah is better today than it was in the past.
Commenting on the international tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, Nasrallah again blamed Israel and the US for conspiring to divide, and stir tensions between, Shi’ites and Sunnis.
He stressed that Hizbullah rejects any attempt to blame it for Hariri’s murder and promised that the organization would defend its honor ” (Nasrallahs statement may not scare Hizbullah now, but it will in the very near future. Yahweh God says in Zechariah 12:2 “I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people.“)