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Last update - 09:40 11/01/2009
Meshal: No Gaza truce until IDF ends Gaza offensive, opens border crossings
By News Agencies
Tags: gaza, hamas, israel news, IDF

Hamas Damascus-based political leader Khaled Mehsal said Saturday that his group would not consider a Gaza cease-fire until Israel ends its 15-day-old military offensive and opens the coastal enclave's border crossings.

"Let Israel pull out first, let the aggression stop first, let the crossings open and then people can look into the issue of calm," said Meshal, in a televised speech in Damascus.



Meshal gave a fiery speech on the Arabic news channel Al-Jazeera condemning Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip, describing it as a holocaust.

Meshal said Israel's attacks on Gaza, which have killed more than 800 Palestinians, have failed because Hamas still fires rockets at Israel.

"You have finished off the last chance and breath for settlement and negotiations," he said, before calling on Arabs to continue their protests to pressure their leaders and the international community.

"We are living the hardest moments of the resistance now, we want another intifada in Palestine and on the Arab street," he said, calling on the Arabs to continue protesting.

He told Arab countries with relations with Israel to use that card and say to the enemy, stop the attacks or we will end our relationship with you.

Meshal's comments come as a Hamas delegation is in Egypt, together with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to discuss an Egyptian cease-fire proposal and possible international monitoring force to enforce an agreement.

Meshal said that any international monitoring force would be treated as an occupation force and Hamas said that before any negotiations could take place, Israel had to halt attacks, pull out of the Gaza Strip and lift the siege of Gaza.

He also insisted that Hamas be included, together with the Egyptians and the Europeans, in any monitoring system on the Rafah border.


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      1.   Good for Israel, they can continue grinding Hamas 23:17  |  Father Emanuel 10/01/09
      2.   MESHAL THE CRUEL, INHUMANE 23:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 10/01/09
      3.   Words of a FOOL! 23:47  |  Mr.Smith 10/01/09
      4.   To the last man.... 23:47  |  Paul K 10/01/09
      5.   Hamas running scared 23:50  |  Drew 10/01/09
      6.   Way to Go Down with the Ship! 23:50  |  Bootsy 10/01/09
      7.   Meshal No truce until IDf ends Gaza op 23:53  |  Mick 10/01/09
      8.   Next week 23:58  |  Zelkha 10/01/09
      9.   Like Other Terrorists 00:58  |  Ron 11/01/09
      10.   If there`s no poss. of settlement, why should Israel stop? 01:05  |  McQueen 11/01/09
      11.   Meshal 01:07  |  Marilyn 11/01/09
      12.   What a bunch of COWARDS !!! 01:08  |  Marc 11/01/09
      13.   What a Monster 01:16  |  Bob 11/01/09
      14.   Negotiate What? The Cease-Fire? 01:25  |  Jeff Northridge 11/01/09
      15.   bluster, bluster and more bluster 01:27  |  r 11/01/09
      16.   Zelkha #8 01:33  |  Westwell 11/01/09
      17.   Meshal no one cares what you think 01:33  |  Livin In Rishon 11/01/09
      18.   Mr. Smith #3 01:34  |  Westwell 11/01/09
      19.   No problem with Meshal`s term 01:34  |  Brad 11/01/09
      20.   Drew # 5 01:43  |  Westwell 11/01/09
      21.   Meshal 05:34  |  Harry 11/01/09
      22.   mashaal is as relevant as hadash and meretz 07:47  |  Arie 11/01/09
      23.   The doughnut whole 08:55  |  Jim 11/01/09
      24.   New Information - Location of Hamas leaders 09:03  |  Reid 11/01/09
      25.   18 westwell 09:21  |  Mr.Smith 11/01/09
      26.   #4 Paul K 09:34  |  Jim 11/01/09
      27.   Peace talks would not be long winded with Meshal. 10:59  |  Michael J 11/01/09
      28.   Hamas demands 14:21  |  Abel 11/01/09
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