UPDATED ON:
Sunday, December 28, 2008
10:06 Mecca time, 07:06 GMT
News Middle East
Hamas calls for third intifada
Meshaal says Hamas is open to reconciliation
with Abbas

Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Hamas, has called for Palestinians to wage a new intifada against Israel, including a return to suicide missions.

In an interview on Al Jazeera, Meshaal said: "We called for a military intifada against the enemy. Resistance will continue through suicide missions."

Meshaal's call came after Israel hammered Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 220 people in one of the bloodiest days of the decades-long Middle East conflict.

Meshaal said Hamas had accepted "all the peaceful options, but without results."

He said that for there to be any talks with the people of Gaza, "the blockade must be lifted and the crossings [from Israel] opened ... notably that in Rafah," which leads to Egypt.

Meshaal was referring to a blockade imposed on Gaza after Hamas full seized control of the overcrowded, impoverished strip from forces loyal to moderate Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007.

The Hamas leader, who live in exile in Syria, said he was open to reconciliation with Abbas, but demanded that the Palestinian president cease negotiations with Israel.

"Neither rockets nor suicide operations are absurd, but negotiations are," he said.

Hamas has not carried out a suicide attack on Israel since January 2005.

The first intifada, or uprising, broke out in 1988, and was followed by the 1993 Oslo peace accords, which led to a certain degree of Palestinian autonomy with the creation of the Palestinian Authority.

A second intifada broke out in 2000 and eventually ran out of steam three years later.

 Source: Agencies
 
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Feedback Number of comments : 23
 
fairuz
Malaysia
29/12/2008
Its better intifada than doing nothing
I support Hamas because Palestinian people has suffer a lot from the Israel. Even world knows that Israel has left Gaza, but reality, Gaza border from sea to land are still control by Israel. Therefore you could see that there is nothing for Gaza to develop except fight against their freedom

Trace
Canada
29/12/2008
Hamas calls for third intifada
I am amazed by some of the rhetoric on this site. The Jewish people did not take over Palestine, it was a gift from the British commonwealth for the atrocity's that were leveled against their community during WWII. Mahbub Morshed has it right and I think Israel would be more than accomodating if they did not feel that their very existence was always in peril. Think the retaliations are severe now, wait till they start suicide bombing innocent Israeli's again. Intifada's will not resolve anything

Otis
United Kingdom
28/12/2008
While Meshaal sips tea in his elegant headquarters in Syria, he orders his people to become martyrs. Some leader.

Victor
United States
28/12/2008
It does not work.
Why call a 3rd intifada when the first two did not work? How many intifadas will it take before Hamas and the Palestinians learn that they have to accept the realities. Israel is there and will never go away. The western powers will never allow a repeat of the massacre of Jews. That's why Israel posses the most modern weapons that are not even available to many countries. Negotiation is better than dying. Your choice.

Igwe
Nigeria
28/12/2008
Too Bad
How bad it sounds. You encourage your people to commit suicide while you are confortaly on exile. While not come and do the suicide attacks yourself. May God help the poor masses!

Yousef
Palestinian Territory
28/12/2008
Violence is not the way
How does he expect Israel to just open up all the borders and remove the siege when he is threatening more suicide bombings. Military resistance is not the way, people need to understand that. @Victor: Please don't *ever* use the statement "Hamas and the Palestinians" because we are not the same, Hamas' views are very different to Palestinians, so please don't generalise.

Antonio
Denmark
28/12/2008
I condemn israeli terrorism
More than 200 assassinated, hundreds badly wounded. The terror triad Israel-US-UK is running amok again. International law categorizes the Gaza aggression as terror, plain terror. Remember to disregard the misinformation coming from the intoxicating media of the aggressors. The road to freedom is tough but the Palestinian land will be Arab again.

Tal
Israel
28/12/2008
How convenient
How convenient - Sitting down at your Syrian Villa, taking orders from Iran while your Palestinian people suffer. Instead of directing them for a peaceful solution where we both live in peace, you keep pushing them to war. The sad thing is that they still listen to you (and Iran).

Lilly
United Kingdom
28/12/2008
I'd like to remind Otis and Victor that the reason why we are here today is firstly because Israel refuses to respect UN resolutions imposed on them over the past thirsty years and secondly the international community keeps denying the Palestinians their electoral choice which saw Hamas won their overwhelming support! Like most I do not believe in any form of violence however I believe in democratic elections whoever the choice of the people might be!

Mahbub Morshed
Bangladesh
28/12/2008
third intifada
Another Intifada doesn't seem to be possible solution to the decades-long conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Hamas should now accept the reality and try to settle the issue at negotiation table with the help of international community.

anonymous
Israel
29/12/2008
The problem is the Palestinian leaders. They many times had an opportunity to develop themselves into something. But they do not care about their people. They take the money that the int'l community gives them and use it for selfish purposes (Arafat) or terrorism (hamas) instead of trying to develop a happy, healthy existence for their citizens. They do not know the word peace....They know only how to destroy and kill. This is so sad. Truly sad. We (the Israelis) cannot always be to blame.

Michael
Canada
29/12/2008
Third Intifada
What choices do the Palestinian really have facing a Nation-State stealing their lands for more than a century, as we did with the Native people in Canada and USA? I don't like violence, but facing an ethnocratic and colonial state backed with Western lies, I do unstanderstand the call of Meshaal.

David
United States
29/12/2008
Response
Antonio from Denemark Israel will always prevail simply because Arab unity over this conflict can never be achieved. The moderate governments in the region realize that Iran with its supporters- Hamas and Hezbollah wish to change the Middle East. By the way, why don't you join the ranks of Hamas or Hezbollah right there in the Middle East? It is much easier to be a Gucci terrorist is it not Mr Antonio? Good luck

will
United States
29/12/2008
Hamas - fanatical, genocidal no peace possible
No country would tolerate daily rocket attacks by Hamas, nor Hamas's goal of "destroying Israel", nor Hamas's campaign to endoctrinate the Palestinians to hate and murder Jews. Hamas has nothing to offer humanity. Arabs should speak and act to eliminate doctrines of hating the Jewish people. The Jewish community would welcome a genuine fellowship of peace with the Arab Moslem communities. Islamic hate is not the answer for a better world change for real peace is the only answer.

Karim
United States
29/12/2008
both are wrong
Pshh, in response to "Tal", you correctly criticize Meshall, but why are you not willing to criticise your own government? that is typical of all Israelies and many others, you critique the Palestinians but you refuse to point out the Israeli part in this conflict, maybe if Israel opened the border and actaully gave the palestinians what they deserve by law, water food and electricty, peace would be a more viable option. But no they choose war, they are no better than hamas militants.

Gajimi Ali makinta
Nigeria
31/12/2008
Let of the past
the present situation at hand cannot be resolved by keeping in mind about the past.thats one thing israel failed to understand.the Palestinians learn to burry their past with present situation they found themselves in.but as for the israels they always mourn for their past without let go of it thereby creating aggressions in there hearts and feelings of insecurity within them.

troy
United States
02/01/2009
learn the truth
Most people doesn't know what is right and what's wrong. What's truth & what's lie.The truth is' Israel is occupier and aggressor. Whole world knows that. Few people & Western powers, alway's try to hide this truth. How long, how many day's, how many years? You will see the reasult in your life time, or your children will see that. History will repeat by itself. The way Moses punished Pharaoh. If israel has the right to exist,then Palastanian's have right to fight back, because it's their country.

john street
Afghanistan
03/01/2009
If all the Arab League grew balls, then they each would send a thousand troops in there, totaling over 100,000 troops, and a warning to Israel that if any foreign troop is hurt then they risk war with all countries. You will see that Israel will back up. They don't want that type of a war. Then put a law of that region that no country can ever bomb another or face retaliation from the Arab League. Come on Arabs where's your heart at?

Blank
Canada
02/01/2009
Israel
The Palestinian people dont want intifada (I know), but Israel has backed them into a corner...the blockade & crossings. Isreal did't act by the terms of past deals.

Mo
South Africa
02/01/2009
3rd Intafada
Killing children.....(or maybe 'human shields'?)How is noble Israel defending itself against the 'terrorists'? May the Palistinian people continue the struggle against their oppressors !

troy
United States
03/01/2009
not hamas
Hamas is not a threat for world peace. Israel is the great threat for the world. How many people they killed in 6 or 7 day's, and how many people got killed by Hamas rocket fire in one year. All the Israeli leader tell's to the media is that Israel want's to end this aggresson before BaraK Obama take's office. It mean's they cannot believe Barak Obama, they fear that, if Barack Obama doesn't approve any attack on Hamas. Hamas rocket fire is just a excuse, because Israel couldn't punish Iran.

Abdul M. Ismail
United Kingdom
04/01/2009
Boycott Israel
I believe those who oppose the Zionism should boycott any companies who trade with and invest in Israel. That means make sure you look out of bar code prefix 729 and use an internet search engine with the two words "boycott" and "israel". Over 40 UN resolutions have been ignored in 60 years by Israel. Boycotting companies that trade with Israel will result in a financial blow and will force them to change their policy.

Lazar
Serbia and Montenegro
04/01/2009
desperation is a bad idea
An Intifada will only result in more suffering for the women and children of Gaza

 
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