Tens of thousands rally in Gaza, await Hamas birthday 'surprise'
Islamist group marks 22 years in the Gaza Strip, spare no effort to recruit residents en masse.
By Avi Issacharoff Tags: Israel newsTens of thousands of Hamas supporters thronged downtown Gaza City Monday to mark the 22nd anniversary of the group's founding, in a massive display that showed the Islamic militants still enjoy broad support despite years of rule that have led to war, poverty and isolation.
Hamas is celebrating its anniversary with a large public rally and smaller parades. Sunday, as preparations for the festivities were under way in the Gaza Strip, the leaders of the movement spared no effort in trying to persuade Gazans to show up en masse.
The leaders promised a "surprise," although they gave no hints as to what that might be. In western Gaza, dozens of motorcyclists with green Hamas flags drove through the main street.
The main rally began at 1 P.M. and drew the large numbers expected. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and top official Mahmoud al-Zahar were on hand to address the crowd, the military wing of the movement, the Iz al-Din al-Qassam brigades, held a parade.
Hamas is expected to try to demonstrate unity and show it has massive public support, to make up for its defeat during Operation Cast Lead nearly a year ago. It is mobilizing supporters from across the Strip. School has been canceled.
Commentators on Sunday were busy trying to guess the nature of the "surprise" promised by Hamas. Some said it might be a breakthrough in the prisoner exchange negotiations, but others said it was more likely that Hamas would unveil a new weapon system allegedly able to hit key targets in Israel, such as Tel Aviv. No dramatic announcement on a reconciliation with Fatah is anticipated.
Meanwhile, Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshal met in Tehran with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday. The Iranian president stressed his support for Hamas, saying, "The Iranian government and the Iranian people will always stand by the Palestinians and the Palestinian resistance."
"Today Palestine is a symbol of the world-wide front of those who seek liberty from the militants," he said. Ahmadinejad said Iran doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist, and supports Hamas and Hezbollah.
Tomorrow the PLO Central Council, which mediates between the movement's executive committee and the Palestinian National Assembly, is set to meet in Ramallah. Despite initial fears that Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas might use the meeting to announce his resignation, and reports that the council would appropriate all parliamentary authority, the council is likely to extend Abbas' tenure and that of all other Palestinian institutions until the next general elections.
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Their Egyptian brothers should open the borders not Israel. We have no diplomatic relation with them. They belong to Egypt anyway. Why don't you look into this a little more? Egypt gave up the land and kept Sinai as the peace deal. I'm not in favor of the Israeli government either, but the solution is not what you are suggesting.
and i'm sure you were among the first to call the goldstone report an anti-semitic lie... and here you are proving to everyone just how credible it actually is...lol. although there IS one positive note-- your ignorance doesn't necassarily represent the sentiments of most israelis. but the down side is that you're an american...and THAT kinda sucks for most of us.
Just a bunch of trouble makers and terrorists out to make an easy buck from the suckers they control Tell you what, send me a link to a photo showing a hungry Gazan, so far all I have seen seem to look pleasingly plump
and i'm sure you were among the first to call the goldstone report an anti-semitic lie... and here you are proving to everyone just how credible it actually is...lol. although there IS one positive note-- your ignorance doesn't necassarily represent the sentiments of most israelis. but the down side is that you're an american...and THAT kinda sucks for most of us.
These people have soul and spirit. Their dignity, strength and faith is more than you can ever imagine. The light of the freedom can not be extinguished by mere bombs! God bless them and give them more strength to go on.
The Arab approach to Israel has never changed one iota from their desire to "drive the Jews into the Sea", only the rhetoric varies from time to time. Hamas just re-articulated Arafats' 1974 Phased Plan of conquering Israel by pieces,first by compelling israel to withdraw to the '67 lines diplomaticially, and then using that territory to attack the remainder until the other Arab states finally join in to help the Palestinians. Remember when Faisel-Al-Husseini called the Oslo Accords a "Trojan Horse", soleley designed to bring the PLO and Arafat back from Tunis to the West Bank where they could fight Israel more effectively? These is no "peace proces", there is only Arab pretense and a cynical manipulation of the diplomatic process by those with truly evil intentions.
Why are terrorists allowed to celebrate the deaths of civilians?? Hamas has not only kill jews but americans too. How is this celebration acceptable in the world?? Anyone attending is there to support hamas. Send in IAF and take them out. There is your surprise.
You should know by now what happens when you starve an innocent cat. It becomes a lion.
The more you repress a peoples the more they will grasp a hold of any straw of hope that may promise them salvation. Hamas is the only hope they have. If Israel would stop acting like an apartheid regime and open the doors to Gaza, they would see that the people no longer will cling to Hamas. But Israeli's are too greedy and stupid to realize that. You wouldn't need to fear rockets, if people didn't hate you, people hate you because of stealing their land and murdering women and children. Sorry, if you did that in my neighborhood, I would do exactly as the Palestinians have done. Israel will cease to exist because Israeli's will self implode and destroy themselves.
let them celebrate the fiction of their own imagination. As long as they do not do anything foolish(as they done on many prior occasions) they will be fine. The word -poor losers, come to mind...
If they unveil a surprise new weapon system, I hope we surprise them by turning it (and the rest of Gaza) into a parking lot.
"to make up for its defeat during Operation Cast Lead nearly a year ago. It is mobilizing supporters from across the Strip. School has been canceled. Gazans know who killed some of them such as Muhammad al durreh
Recognize Israel and end terror for good that would be a nice surprise.
If it's something violent/destructive it's no surprise :(
"make up for its defeat": In order for Hamas to have lost the battle, Israel or Fatah would have had to have come out a winner. Neither has. The status quo has changed slightly, for the time being, not the paradigm.
'No fun' policies pollute the people.
without fuel? New long range missiles ? Impossible,they are 'unarmed and imprisoned'?