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Last update - 14:16 16/12/2007
At rally, Hamas vows never to recognize Israel
By Avi Issacharoff
Tags: Hamas, Palestinians, Israel 

More than 200,000 Palestinians rallied Saturday in Gaza City to mark the Hamas movement's 20th anniversary, where deposed Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh said that whoever declares he will never recognize Israel earns "the people's love." The crowd chanted: "We will never recognize Israel."

In a fiery speech, Haniyeh cited the achievements of Hamas and "the resistance" throughout the region. He cited Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000 and from Gaza in 2005, and the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. He also listed Afghanistan and Iraq against the U.S.-led forces.

Haniyeh said that Hamas is willing to negotiate with Fatah, but without the preconditions the rival party is demanding.
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In a televised message from Damascus, Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshal said: "Our people are able to launch a third and fourth uprising until the dawn of victory arrives."

Meshal repeated that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas does not have a mandate to negotiate with Israel. He stressed that contrary to claims by Abbas and his associates, Hamas has not weakened in the six months since its takeover in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas parliament member Mushir al-Masri also spoke at the rally, and warned against a possible Israeli incursion in the Gaza Strip, saying that Hamas "has already begun to dig graves for the Jews."

The Hamas official in charge of Gilad Shalit's case, Osama al-Mzeini, said that the soldier will not see the light of day as long as there are Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

On Friday morning, at least four people were killed and 30 injured in a mysterious explosion during a funeral procession in Gaza for a Fatah gunman killed in an Israel Air Force attack Thursday. Eyewitnesses said gunmen were firing in the air when the blast occurred. Fatah blamed Hamas, but senior Hamas officials denied any involvement and said that one of the mourners had accidentally dropped a pipe bomb he was carrying.

PA President Abbas announced a three-day mourning period and ordered the Palestinian flag lowered to half mast in memory of those killed.

Haniyeh promised that there would be an investigation.

Meanwhile, Hamas confirmed that it was behind the Gaza kidnapping this weekend of Omar al-Ghul, a senior adviser to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. A statement from Hamas said that Ghul, who is known as a harsh critic of Hamas, was detained for questioning concerning illegal activities.

Ghul went to Gaza from the West Bank on Wednesday for his mother-in-law's funeral, but relatives said that gunmen dressed in civilian clothes burst into his home at around 4 A.M. Friday, damaged the property and abducted him.

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      1.   Mishal is right,the quisling has no mandate to negotiate with 03:09  |  lakshmi 16/12/07
      2.   BUT DO THEY "REALLY" MEAN IT? 03:16  |  Brant 16/12/07
      3.   Recognize peace two over used words RIGHT ??? 03:46  |  M. S. 16/12/07
      4.   Excuse me Mr. Mushir al-Masri 03:50  |  Murray of Montreal 16/12/07
      5.   At least the terrorists are sticking to their principles 03:56  |  Stayin Alive 16/12/07
      6.   Which Israel should Hamas recognize? 04:00  |  Janet 16/12/07
      7.   Fact: Israel refuse to recognize a Palestinian State. 04:06  |  POP 16/12/07
      8.   Please lak, what these people are saying is... 04:17  |  Virginia 16/12/07
      9.   Israel is. Period. 04:19  |  Al 16/12/07
      10.   The glory of a dumb enemy. Islam makes them a laughing stock. 04:26  |  Erdogan 16/12/07
      11.   Hamas is a curse on the Palestinian people 04:49  |  Conroy 16/12/07
      12.   Lakshmi - I wish the world were as simple 05:02  |  Mark Lincoln 16/12/07
      13.   Fact: Israel refuse to recognize a Palestinian State 05:06  |  POP 16/12/07
      14.   yet they accept fuel and power from israel? 05:16  |  vik 16/12/07
      15.   SOLUTION: Hamas, Etc. In Gaza And Fatah In The West Bank. 05:25  |  Proud Pal Defender 16/12/07
      16.   Who cares? 05:28  |  Cristo 16/12/07
      17.   Hamas 05:39  |  Edithann 16/12/07
      18.   Hamas=Missed the boat 05:42  |  ATLAS 16/12/07
      19.   Well, 200.000 "terrorists"!! 06:09  |  Niva dos santos 16/12/07
      20.   the evolution of hamas 06:22  |  peter 16/12/07
      21.   Israel should just keep on doing what it is doing 06:26  |  Chick 16/12/07
      22.   Haneyah`s Sisters 06:29  |  Ron 16/12/07
      23.   Poor Lakshmi... 06:30  |  D.R. Zukerman 16/12/07
      24.   hamas wants peace? - no is hamas answer 06:30  |  Adrian de Klerk 16/12/07
      25.   This is no surprise... 06:34  |  Silvienne 16/12/07
      26.   World needs to see this, that Israel can`t give these loons land 06:41  |  Steve Randolph 16/12/07
      27.   Can someone translate lakshmi`s ramblings into English? 06:42  |  Steve Randolph 16/12/07
      28.   200,000? Never? Peace? Fools? They, or is it us? 06:50  |  common sense 16/12/07
      29.   Proud Pal offers reasonable plan 07:02  |  Jewboy 16/12/07
      30.   Its good hamas so clearly says: no negotiations, no peace 07:06  |  Johnny 16/12/07
      31.   No brainer.... 07:06  |  Webster 16/12/07
      32.   What part of `never recognize Israel` don`t you understand? 07:21  |  Dan 16/12/07
      33.   hamas achievements 1st people to cesspool surf 07:22  |  real vision 16/12/07
      34.   Good. We don`t need your recognition. 07:25  |  leo 16/12/07
      35.   WE WILL DESTROY HAMAS!!!! 07:43  |  Jason 16/12/07
      36.   Silvienne- then how about giving peace a chance? 07:58  |  Stephen in New York 16/12/07
      37.   Well, at least they are very clear about this 08:13  |  Dan 16/12/07
      38.   Excellent, keep on the good job Hamas 08:17  |  Dan 16/12/07
      39.   Same old 08:24  |  ScotGuy 16/12/07
      40.   Janet #6 08:25  |  L. King 16/12/07
      41.   HAMAS ACCOMPLISHMENTS 08:32  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/12/07
      42.   Beilin`s top advisor, Daniel Levy has urged engagement with Hamas 08:33  |  Ken Jurist 16/12/07
      43.   any more idiots for peace moves with arabs 08:38  |  victor hardman 16/12/07
      44.   Regression 09:19  |  Matthew Houston 16/12/07
      45.   Haniyeh praises Al Qaida, comparing to Hamas 09:37  |  Gina 16/12/07
      46.   Reading Between The Lines 09:37  |  Clickfool 16/12/07
      47.   Cipora Julianna Kohn -- Excellent, lucid, clarifying post 09:39  |  Gina 16/12/07
      48.   The reason why Hamas is internationally isolated 09:43  |  Gina 16/12/07
      49.   #6 Too funny Janet... 10:15  |  MaryRose 16/12/07
      50.   #7 Wrong POP 10:16  |  MaryRose 16/12/07
      51.   #47, Gina, Haniyeh`s praise of Al Qaeda 10:23  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/12/07
      52.   He is absolutely right 10:26  |  Jean 16/12/07
      53.   Hamas vows never to recognize Israel 10:29  |  Ralph 16/12/07
      54.   The roots of delusion 10:33  |  Judith, Haifa 16/12/07
      55.   35 BRAVO JASON, TOO TRUE, THE END WILL BE THEIR END. 10:34  |  Elizabeth 16/12/07
      56.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 10:45  |  Gina 16/12/07
      57.   Jean -- so you`re another one who approves 10:50  |  Gina 16/12/07
      58.   Believing eleven impossible things before breakfast 10:50  |  Jasmine Murphy 16/12/07
      59.   It is ALL in Israels hands....... 10:53  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/12/07
      60.   #58, Jasmine Murphy 11:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/12/07
      61.   Impossible to request logic from Dino but I`m fascinated 11:06  |  Jasmine Murphy 16/12/07
      62.   Who brought Hamas`s existence? 11:06  |  Palestinian Prince 16/12/07
      63.   Peace in ME and Hamas. 11:07  |  Vital 16/12/07
      64.   13# POP . Which State ? 11:10  |  Akram Zekaria 16/12/07
      65.   Message # 46 is Fake Clickfool 11:12  |  Clickfool 16/12/07
      66.   Gina: 11:13  |  Jean 16/12/07
      67.   #59, Dino 11:17  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/12/07
      68.   Gina: 11:36  |  Jean 16/12/07
      69.   #65, clickfool 11:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/12/07
      70.   Clickfool Is Right, At Long Last! 11:45  |  Rupert 16/12/07
      71.   nu Tosefta? 11:49  |  goldenberg 16/12/07
      72.   Re: Digging graves for Jews in Gaza 11:49  |  Dutch 16/12/07
      73.   # 67 Cipora Julianna Kohn 11:51  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/12/07
      74.   BRAVO HAMAS, DON`T GIVE UP HOPE 11:54  |  indrajaya 16/12/07
      75.   Arab terminology with regard to the Jews 12:19  |  Avihu 16/12/07
      76.   Go Home 12:24  |  Kringe 16/12/07
      77.   Dutch No. 72 12:27  |  Doris Cadigan 16/12/07
      78.   Mutant evolution 12:36  |  FOX 16/12/07
      79.   Aha...so there you are, "Rupert" of "Wych Cross" # 70 12:40  |  Clickfool 16/12/07
      80.   Hamas Is Getting Desperate 12:43  |  Jeff Northridge 16/12/07
      81.