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Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk speaking at a press conference in Damascus last month. (AP)
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Ahead of summit, Hamas threatens to make deadlier Qassam rockets
By News Agencies
Tags: Gaza Strip, Annapolis summit 

Hamas can make the rockets it fires at Israel much deadlier by packing them with more explosives, a senior official in the Islamic militant group said in a statement Saturday.

The official, Ahmed Yousef, made the threat just two days before the start of a U.S.-hosted Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

Israeli officials have warned that Hamas may try to disrupt the conference with more intense rocket fire. Gaza militants, including Hamas members, have fired hundreds of crude, homemade rockets at Israeli border communities in recent years, killing 12 people and disrupting life along the border.
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In a statement sent to reporters, Yousef said that the rockets currently being fired have limited effect because they don't carry lethal enough warheads.

"They can be developed in a short period to create sufficient terror and fear and make the Israelis live in pain no less than what our people live through because of the repeated incursions into our villages and cities in the West Bank and Gaza," wrote Yousef, an adviser to deposed Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh.

Yousef also said Israel has rejected repeated truce offers by Hamas, which seized control of Gaza by force in the summer, prompting Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to establish a moderate government in the West Bank.

So far, no difference has been detected in Hamas' rockets. Israel said Yousef's comments reflect Hamas' intentions to try torpedo peace efforts. "We take these threats very seriously, said Mark Regev," Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Hamas calls Arab League decision to attend summit 'a shock'
Hamas on Saturday condemned a decision by Arab powers to endorse next week's peace conference, saying the talks would favor Israeli policies rather than Palestinian demands.

Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel, is excluded from the Nov. 27 conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

Arab League ministers agreed Friday to attend the conference in the hope of promoting the creation of a Palestinian state and pushing for Israel to return the Golan Heights to Syria as part of a regional peace process.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri called the announcement "a great shock for Palestinians because it opened the door for direct normalization with the occupation (Israel) amid (its) continued escalation and aggression."

"The Palestinian people had awaited an Arab consensus for breaking the siege," Abu Zuhri said in a statement, referring to a Western aid embargo and Israeli military crackdowns on Gaza since Hamas swept to power in 2006 elections.

"This meeting will only achieve more failure and more harm to the Palestinian cause and to Arab and Palestinian rights."

Saudi Arabia, long a Hamas patron, has said it would come to Annapolis despite having no formal ties with Israel. Syria, which hosts Hamas' foreign headquarters, wants clarification on the conference's agenda before it decides whether to attend.

Senior Damascus-based Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk was quoted on a Hamas Web site Friday as predicting a fresh wave of Palestinian violence in the wake of the peace conference.

"Resistance in all its forms and means will escalate in the West Bank and Gaza against the Zionist enemy," Marzouk said in a written interview. "This is because Annapolis will expose the arbitrariness of the [political] settlement track and its destructive endeavors."

Tens of thousands of Gazans rally against Annapolis summit
Also Friday, Gaza's militant groups, including Hamas, rallied tens of thousands of their supporters in a public protest against the upcoming summit, saying no such negotiations can deliver Palestinian rights.

Demonstrators in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis marched following Friday prayers chanting "Death to Israel" and waving banners reading: (U.S. President George W.) "Bush is a war criminal not a peacemaker."

Local Hamas leaders told the Gaza demonstrators Friday that over the next few days they will hold rallies and public events against the conference, culminating in a Gaza City public meeting to coincide with the Annapolis parley.

"This is the first referendum against Annapolis," said Hamas official Khalil al-Haya. "The world must read what these rallies and conferences mean."

Riham Abu Khater, 17, said she opposed participation at Annapolis as it amounted to recognition of Israel.

"Nothing good will come out of it. Good will only come from the language of fighting, and from force," she said.

In the northern Gaza town of Jabalya, about two thousand Islamic Jihad activists and supporters took to the streets in protest at Arab participation in the Maryland meeting.

"We consider any Arab effort to make this summit a success as capitulation," said Khaled al-Batch, an Islamic Jihad leader. We don't recognize any results of this meeting...our response is resistance."

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      1.   PERFECT PICTURE OF HAMAS 01:27  |  Brant 24/11/07
      2.   Not surprised at their militancy,israel only understands the 01:46  |  lakshmi 24/11/07
      3.   Question 01:59  |  Brad 24/11/07
      4.   Missed Opportunities 02:18  |  Daniel 24/11/07
      5.   LAKSHMI AND MILITANCY 03:02  |  Brant 24/11/07
      6.   Palestinian Violence Compared To The Israeli Invasion 03:04  |  chet 24/11/07
      7.   PEACE 03:33  |  Larry54 24/11/07
      8.   6 chet,you forgot the cluster bombs they used in Lebanon! 03:53  |  lakshmi 24/11/07
      9.   Chet #6 Very lame post 03:58  |  Free Gilad Shalit 24/11/07
      10.   Is he one of the starving Gazans? 04:10  |  Lynn 24/11/07
      11.   journalist boycott 04:18  |  real vision 24/11/07
      12.   It started last week in Gaza, when Hamas assassinated 8 Arabs 04:56  |  Genuine Tosefta 24/11/07
      13.   LAKSHMI AND KICKED ASSES 05:08  |  Brant 24/11/07
      14.   For #9 Free GS - Living In Dreamland 05:18  |  chet 24/11/07
      15.   Hamas Threatens: To Fabricate Footages To Gain World Sympathy 06:23  |  Joseph E . 24/11/07
      16.   #5, Brant to Lakshmi... 06:47  |  Silvienne 24/11/07
      17.   #9, Free Gilad Shalit to Chet... 06:50  |  Silvienne 24/11/07
      18.   #10, Lynn.. 06:51  |  Silvienne 24/11/07
      19.   #14, Chet....well said! 06:52  |  Silvienne 24/11/07
      20.   #13, Brant to Lakshmi... 06:53  |  Silvienne 24/11/07
      21.   let hamas try 06:57  |  vik 24/11/07
      22.   Blackmailing by Hamas - they have no choice but to whine 07:21  |  Marwan مروان خوري 24/11/07
      23.   I was right & Click,Lakshmi,Natalie was wrong 07:25  |  Kipperraes 24/11/07
      24.   Hamas, stop your threats 07:26  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/11/07
      25.   to vik #21 07:27  |  real vision 24/11/07
      26.   #16 07:31  |  B 24/11/07
      27.   Hamas 07:34  |  Yosemite 24/11/07
      28.   Talks with Hamas 07:34  |  B 24/11/07
      29.   lashmi shows the signs of hysterical neurosis 07:38  |  Marwan مروان خوري 24/11/07
      30.   NO MORE AHMADINEJAD IS NEEDED 07:59  |  indrajaya 24/11/07
      31.   #18 silvienne 08:08  |  Lynn 24/11/07
      32.   predictability 08:59  |  ron 24/11/07
      33.   No, Silvienne, she hates anyone who isn`t Hamas 09:19  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/11/07
      34.   No, Silvienne, she hates anyone who isn`t Hamas 09:19  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/11/07
      35.   Indrajaya You Don`t Get It 09:21  |  Yosemite 24/11/07
      36.   HAMAS learns from ISREAL 09:23  |  VIPER 24/11/07
      37.   Gaza Parking Lot 09:47  |  Daniel 24/11/07
      38.   Yes, Annapolis might fail 09:51  |  dovale 24/11/07
      39.   Riham Abu Khater is absolutely right ! 10:07  |  A Jew 24/11/07
      40.   Wrong, wrong, wrong, even if they are Israelis........ 10:09  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/11/07
      41.   Hamas Will Not Intimidate Us 10:49  |  Tzfonit 24/11/07
      42.   Ya, Hamas people will turn on thier leaders like dogs!!! 11:08  |  . 24/11/07
      43.   zionists,where was all your vainglorious boasting &bragadaccio in 12:39  |  lakshmi 24/11/07
      44.   WAR 12:51  |  WAR 24/11/07
      45.   Hamas simply unfit to lead 12:52  |  El-Birawi 24/11/07
      46.   Hamas Must Die 12:55  |  Steve 24/11/07
      47.   #2 Lakshmi ,you are an idiot 13:00  |  Steve 24/11/07
      48.   Silvienne & chet,greetings! There is a fine piece on the 13:18  |  lakshmi 24/11/07
      49.   LAKSHMI AND NATIONS OF LAWS 13:31  |  Brant 24/11/07
      50.   To El-Birawi 13:58  |  dovale 24/11/07
      51.   ISRAEL SHOULD BUILD SOME REALLY BIG JAILS THEN 13:58  |  B.Heddem 24/11/07
      52.   47Steve,on the contrary israel is going to annapolis,just like 15:09  |  lakshmi 24/11/07
      53.   Another Threat from those Nice Nice People 15:26  |  Dolly 24/11/07
      54.   Lakshimi #43: The Joker of Talkback 15:28  |  Awake 24/11/07
      55.   41,Tzonfit,move on to annapolis and then what? 15:40  |  lakshmi 24/11/07
      56.   Perfect, After Conference Date for Death 15:44  |  Jane 24/11/07
      57.   @51 B. HEDDEM 15:49  |  Mark B. 24/11/07
      58.   # 35, YOSEMITE 16:02  |  indrajaya 24/11/07
      59.   No Hope For These Mongrels 16:07  |  Bill Foonman 24/11/07
      60.   `Death to Israel` so can there ever be Peace for Israel 16:09  |  Dorothea 24/11/07
      61.   lakshmi`s opinions 16:17  |  MR 24/11/07
      62.   Lovely religion of peace.....Hamas style 16:28  |  The Equalizer 24/11/07
      63.   Laksashimi & Hamas = Dumb & Dumber 16:37  |  Thomas 24/11/07
      64.   INSTEAD OF BEING IRRATIONALY REACTIONARY, HAMAS 16:38  |  Smadar 24/11/07
      65.   Hamas threatening 16:41  |  MR 24/11/07
      66.   Indy & Yossi, Stop it. You are brothers, half or full fledged, 16:47  |  God knows. 24/11/07
      67.   #8 lakshmi - Yes, do NOT forger the clusters 16:49  |  * BEN JABO 24/11/07
      68.   54 Awake,no,that`s not where your boasting & vaingloriousness 16:54  |  lakshmi 24/11/07
      69.   #17 Silvienne to Free Gilad Shalit 16:55  |  * BEN JABO 24/11/07
      70.   61 hey MR. or as ballistic would say,say MR.! 16:57  |  lakshmi 24/11/07
      71.   #19 Silvienne to #14 16:57  |  * BEN JABO 24/11/07
      72.   Hamas = A barking dog don`t bite 16:58  |  D 24/11/07
      73.   #10 Silvienne 16:59  |  * BEN JABO 24/11/07
      74.   and Clickfool thinks Israel can negotiate with Hamas 16:59  |  Avi 24/11/07
      75.   #51 B. Heddem UK 17:01  |  * BEN JABO 24/11/07
      76.   The One who watches over Israel never sleeps 17:03  |  BEWARE 24/11/07
      77.   lakshmi the truth is,israel is the only one thats interested 17:07  |  terrornator 24/11/07
      78.   More proof that there is no something like a diplomatic solution 17:14  |  Frank