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Hamas in Iran: Expect terror wave in Israel By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff Israel can expect a wave of suicide bombings inside its 1967 borders, not just the West Bank, Hamas' representative in Iran said yesterday. The announcement came as Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip launched at least 10 Qassam rockets into Israel, lightly wounding a two-year-old girl and 12-year-old girl. In a statement on Hamas' Internet site signed by the organization's delegate to Iran, Dr. Abu-Osama Abed Al-Ma'ati, the suicide attack that occurred earlier this week in Dimona was described as the beginning of a new wave of similar actions. Advertisement "We ceased to carry out these attack for a year, but the enemy persisted with its aggression and the violations to the cease-fire. The Dimona attack is a message. That message is that Iz al-Din al-Qassam has renewed the suicide attacks," the message said, referring to the Islamist organization's military wing. Senior Hamas officials have said that the organization uses such online announcements to declare a change in tactics or policy. Showing consistency with the organization's line from Iran, Hamas' spokesmen in Gaza said the organization will continue to mount "resistance" and carry on with the suicide attacks. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri defended the Dimona attack, which killed a 73-year-old Israeli woman. "There is no choice, no option for our people, but to resist the occupation and defend themselves by all possible means," he said. Defense officialstold Haaretz they view the announcement as a significant change because it comes from the organization's representative to Tehran - which has in recent weeks been pressuring Hamas to escalate hostilities against Israel. In recent months, the Gaza Strip has seen the smuggling of Iranian Katyusha rockets. Since Hamas last month toppled the border fence separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt, Iranian-trained experts in terrorist activities have reentered the Strip, where Hamas has enjoyed sovereignty since it staged a bloody coup d'etat last June. The renewal of suicide attacks in Israel as a matter of policy - as opposed to sporadic attempts by individual terrorists - fits in with the line the organization's military wing has been trying to promote. Military-wing officials believe that the organization should escalate all hostilities against Israel, including suicide attacks, rocket launches and strikes at settlements in the West Bank. Hamas has also stepped up its involvement in firing rockets into Israel over the past couple of days. In parallel with ordering militants to launch several Katyusha rockets at Ashkelon on Tuesday, Hamas' political officials have lowered their public profile. Defense officials in Jerusalem said this was done to minimize the risk of Hamas officials being killed in strikes by the Israel Air Force. Yesterday after nightfall, IAF aircraft carried out three strikes in Gaza. The first hit a metal workshop in central Gaza, Hamas said. No one was hurt. A few minutes later, aircraft targeted a Hamas car in southern Gaza. There were no reports of injuries. A few hours later, a third strike was reported. Despite the fresh upsurge in fighting, a poll released yesterday showed Hamas gaining a jump in popularity after breaking down the border wall at Rafah on January 23. The move gave Gaza's quarantined people a 12-day taste of freedom before Egypt closed the breaches on Sunday. While Hamas gains popularity and clout among Palestinians by breaking Israel's stranglehold on Gaza, even temporarily, Mahmoud Abbas' West Bank administration is strikebound - civil servants walked off the job Tuesday in a two-day protest against a new regulation aimed at forcing West Bank Palestinians to pay millions of dollars in back utility bills. Despite Hamas' increased popularity, Abbas' rival Fatah movement held on to its lead, according to an independent Palestinian poll published yesterday. The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research said a survey it carried out between January 23 - the day of the border breach - and February 3 showed a 6-point rise in support for Hamas, to 39 percent compared with 33 percent in a poll carried out in mid-December. The latest survey showed support for Fatah falling to 46 percent from December's 52 percent. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Baghdad, Interrupted Movie star Angelina Jolie takes on Iraq as UN goodwill ambassador. Unwanted praise Hezbollah leader Nasrallah compliments on the Winograd Committee report.

Today Online Seven Gazans killed in IDF raid; 7 Qassams hit Negev Responses: 149 Barak vows harsher IDF response to Qassam fire Responses: 211 Senator: U.S. to shun UN racism meet over anti-Israel agenda Responses: 164 Egyptian FM: Whoever breaks border will have his legs broken Responses: 94 Vatican rejects criticism of new prayer for conversion of Jews Responses: 254 More Headlines 01:35 Major IDF operation in Gaza back on the agenda 01:50 IDF kills 8 Palestinians; Israel drops electricity supply to Gaza 21:50 Hamas rejects Abbas proposal to broker cease-fire with Israel 20:59 Mideast envoy Blair says PA starting to abide by 'road map' 21:27 Egyptian FM: Whoever breaks border will have his legs broken 19:27 Man credited with saving Jews in WWII to repay survivor he allegedly swindled 23:19 Romney quits U.S. presidential race, takes shot at Europe 20:12 Qatar PM sues Kuwaiti paper which criticized his ties to Israel 19:21 Angelina Jolie visits Baghdad to highlight plight of Iraqi refugees 18:34 Colombian defense minister says ties with Israel are strong 18:35 Israel intercepts W. Bank-bound truck loaded with explosive material 01:55 Hamas confiscates humanitarian aid trucks sent to Gaza from Jordan 23:13 Haifa, T.A. domestic airports suspend plans halt weekend civil aviation Previous Editions Select Day 07 feb 06 feb 05 feb 04 feb 03 feb 01 feb 31 jan 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 25 jan

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