UPDATED ON:
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
15:30 Mecca time, 12:30 GMT
 
News Middle East
Hamas: Gaza war ends peace process
Meshaal said that any international monitoring force in Gaza would be treated as an occupation force [AFP]

Hamas has said that the Gaza war has put an end to chances of negotiations with Israel, calling on Arabs to pressure Tel Aviv to cease its attacks on the Gaza Strip.

In a televised speech on Saturday, Khaled Meshaal, the exiled-Hamas political leader, said Israel's offensive on Gaza, which has killed more than 935 Palestinians, had failed because Hamas was still firing rockets at Israel.

"You have finished off the last chance and breath for settlement and negotiations," Meshaal said.

"In all modesty ... I can say with full confidence that on the military level the enemy has totally failed, it has not achieved anything.

"Has it stopped the rockets?" he asked of Israel's declared aim in launching the offensive.

'New intifada'

Meshaal called on Arabs to pressure their leaders and the international community through protests.

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"We are living the hardest moments of the resistance now, we want another intifada [uprising] in Palestine and on the Arab street," he said, calling on the Arabs to continue protesting.

Meshaal said that Israel was covering up the true nature of its losses by saying that troops had been killed by their own fire and in accidents.

"What did you achieve through this war... other than the killing of children, of innocents?" he asked the Israeli leadership.

"You have lost on the moral and humanitarian fronts ... and you have created a resistance in every house," Meshaal said.

He slammed Israel's assault on Gaza as a "holocaust" in which the blood of Palestinian children was being shed to bolster prospects in next month's Israeli elections.

"The enemy has failed by creating a real holocaust on the soil of Gaza.

"Palestinian blood has become a means to win elections," he  said, addressing the Israeli people whose leaders are to face off in general elections on February 10.

Egyptian plan

Meshaal's comments come as a Hamas delegation is in Egypt, together with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, to discuss an Egyptian ceasefire proposal and possible international monitoring force to enforce an agreement.

Meshaal said that any international monitoring force in the Gaza Strip would be treated as an "occupation" force.

"Before any negotiations could take place, Israel had to halt attacks, pull out of the Gaza Strip and lift the siege of Gaza," Meshaal said.

He also insisted on Hamas's inclusion, together with the Egyptians and the Europeans, in any monitoring system on the Rafah border.

A 2005 agreement to monitor the Rafah crossing did not include Hamas and the Egyptians have said they will stick to that agreement.

 Source: Agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 51
 
Steve
United States
11/01/2009
Pease will never come
As long as the Palestine and the Arab people allow hamas to fire rockets on the people of Israel then there well be no peace. The Palestinians people will need to remove Hamas from their country

Victor
United States
11/01/2009
Empty and stupid.
If the Israelis will never stop then Hamas will never negotiate until the last drop of blood is spilled. What will that achieve when all the Palestinians in Gaza are dead. The NAZIs killed 6 million Jews and the world felt sorry. But the 6 million Jews are still dead. When all the Palestinians in Gaza are dead, the world will feel sorry but they still be dead. Now is the time to negotiate before you are annihilated.

Paul
Afghanistan
11/01/2009
Dont get it.
I just don't get it. Israel evacuates Gaza. Seems like a golden opportunity to get some real Palestinian leadership so these people can finally get on their feet. They elect a bunch of troglodytes who have no abilty to govern and their sole agenda is to destroy their much wealthier and stronger neighbor...that's their governing mandate. No economic growth, no agenda for progress. Spew hate and lob rockets. Very smart. Then they play the victim when Israel responds with force. Ingenious.

N. Dias
Saudi Arabia
11/01/2009
Khaled Meshals statement
Khaled Meshal is trying to be another hero in the Arab world. Saddam Hussain did when he said "This is the mother of all battles". Khaled Meshal can talk a lot from Syria wearing a suit, while the innocent people die in Gaza. He has not learnt from Saddam.

Magnai
Mongolia
11/01/2009
why Hamas calling arabs to fight vs Israel?
If Hamas had not launched rockets to Israel, it haven't been happen. Why are Hamas leaders hiding in some safe place and pushing their people to fight untill last one. It is ridiculios. If want they die themself. If civilians must die. Now they want to involve whole Arab in their problem. For them is it not enough innocent Palestinian people's blood?

danial
Malaysia
11/01/2009
israeli
lets everyone think first, you cant blame all to hamas, what would you do if there're barricade blocking your medical equip, food, daily stuff at the border? hamas is desperate here to get thus, so then they fire rocket. wht i dont get it, israeli who the one cause this barricade, says " Ow im just defending myself " but he actually the starter. hamas doing the right thing like all of us will do, human nature to survive, if the barricade is lifted up, dont think any of palestinian send any rckts

Goord
Netherlands
11/01/2009
agression
The Israeli agression is out of control. The Israeli people are addicted to violence, they think you can solve all problems with an offensive and by killing people. Hamas has come in power due to corruption by Fatah. Only making an end to the corruption and the open- air jail status of Gaza will be a solution. Israeli violence will only lead to more violence against Israeli people by Hamas. This is a circle of violence, wich has to be stopped.

Jamna
Malaysia
11/01/2009
Occupation is the only cause to blame
Without rockets from Gaza, Israel would clearly have quiet and calm occupation. This is bad. With rockets, Hamas tell the world that occupation still happen is Gaza. The siege, the prisoners, and conspiracies all all tools of new Israeli occupation that Hamas is againts at. Without occupation, Hamas is just ordinary people like us. Why blame them?

ibn Qasim
Afghanistan
11/01/2009
Zionism
The cause of all these problem is Zionism. What do you expect the Palestinians to do when all there land has been stolen from them. In 1947 Jews owned 7% of Palestine, on this basis they established a state that covered more than half of Palestine. The Muslim world needs to unite under the Khilafah and destroy the Zionist state. The so called Muslim leaders need to removed and replaced.

tom
United Kingdom
11/01/2009
gaza war
Israels' 'withdrawal' from Gaza was just window-dressing. All the while, they were digging deeper into Palastinian territory. Gaza is treated like a dog pound- God help them if they dare to bite back.

Musa
Egypt
11/01/2009
hypocrisy
Meshaal is eating and live like a KING in Syria. He has Mercedes and a castle. He does not care that Palestinians are suffer because of the leadership!!!

Hisham
Australia
11/01/2009
you guys have got to be kidding me
1. the israelis shoot from houses in which Palestinian civilians are living. That is using them as a human shield. Not the other way around. 2. The issue goes beyond Hamas. It goes back to dispossession and persecution. Israel can justify massacres for their own security, but they refuse to give the Palesitinians any security. 3. Tal. The Palestinians did not do anything to deserve being robbed of more than 90% of their land and increasing. You're all being punked.

walker
Australia
11/01/2009
Gaza
Lame duck US Presedent = WAR in Gaza Presedent Elect = change???? not likely Too many Israelies in the administration. The US Government can stop the war. The US has vitoed all peace plans in the UN since 1967

Rob
Afghanistan
11/01/2009
Meshaal
Is there any doubt that Israel would allow the free flow of commerce into and out of Gaza were Hamas not smuggling weapons? Why not? Israel vacated Gaza several years ago hoping that the Pals would govern themselves to prosperity. Rather, Hamas as a dogmatic, intolerant theocracy, and proxy for Iran, victimizes the Pals by attacking Israel with ongoing missile barrages. Is that the way to peace and prosperity? It's time to expose Hamas for what they are.

Richy
Nigeria
11/01/2009
Hamas has failed!
Hamas has succeeded in exposing itself to the whole world.It has shown that they are a bunch of senseless puppets controlled by outside maniacs somewhere. If they still talk about "victory" when over 800 palestinians have been killed, then it goes to show how wicked and senseless they are.

Tracy
South Africa
11/01/2009
Hamas: Gaza war an end to peace bid
This war did not start on the 27/12 - Israel provoked this - just like they provoked the 6 day war, maybe people should spend abit of time researching what lead up to this war. Hamas wants peace, but there is no way Israel will ever agree to giving up a third of their land, and going back to their 1967 borders. The starve the people of Gaza, and when they fight back - they point fingers and stay they have a right to defend themselves, why does Israel only have the right? What about Gaza?

Noliving
United States
11/01/2009
Meshaal
You are right meshaal it hasn't stopped the rockets but it has signficicantly reduced the amount you were firing on Israel. So your going to "treat", which means attack, an international monitoring force in gaza as an occupying force if one was to come about, even though they are trying to keep the peace between gaza and Israel. So even after all this bloodshed you would rather not have a force that could in effect take on Israel because it would take you on also.

Ibrahim
Iran
11/01/2009
Gaza Civilians
Why do Hamas leaders cynically exploit their civilian population and place them in harms way while they remain hidden 500 miles away or underground. Stop the rocket fire and have pity on the innocent civilians you continue to endanger.

Maumina
Norway
11/01/2009
Lies can never turn into truth
A lie is a lie, even if you tell it a hundred times a day, for one hundred years. Still, it will remain a lie. Just because israelis keep on repeating the mantra of 'hamas is responsible', the truth is that israel itself is responsible. Even if the israelis keep on repeating the mantra that hamas is using civilians as human shields, the fact is that israeli army is targetting civilians brutally. There motto is to kill all the gazans. Israel is the real terrorist and that is a fact.

Khalil
Afghanistan
13/01/2009
Why the Palastinians will prevail
The Israelis have better weapons but they are weak. They don't know how to fight a war. They think they are morally superior because they claim not to target civilians, but in truth they kill many more. They beg for international approval, but all they get is condemnation. In the end they will stop fighting because the world will stop them. Palestinians are willing to die for their cause, Jews are not. In the end, the Jews will leave. It is a matter of time.

Tal
Israel
11/01/2009
Motives
The Nazis did not retaliate. They did not slaughter the Jews because they hurt the nation. They never fired a rocket towards German civilians... They are just did not like us... The motives are the key element in this problem. attacking for no good reason is unacceptable, defending against attacks can never be treated as a holocaust...

BING
Iraq
11/01/2009
to talk dont cost nothing
Part of the hamas and islamic organisation is to use women and children as a protection a shield. great way to fight. Let people live in Israel and palestina. Children are dying becuse hamas don't care of is own people.

AJ
Malaysia
11/01/2009
Hamas: Gaza war an end to peace bid
Without Hamas any agreement will be meaningless

Akira Yamanaka
Japan
11/01/2009
Regarding the another intifada
As an international opinion Why has not another intifada taken place till now ? Yes, they must think that also adhering to the rocket attacks into Israeli civilians is not right. Most of all neutral and sound people in the world think that both Israel and Hamas are wrong.

OZ
United States
13/01/2009
Control
The Isreali's Kept offering Meshall opportunity to take control. All he had to do was to stop firing Katuysha Rockets. Instead he fires more. Israel Bombs, he makes more threats and increases Katuysha attacks. Israel Sends in Ground Troops he esacalates and makes additional threats. He is obviously adhereing to the Hamas Charter which in no way welcomes a peaceful solution. How can anyone expect Meshall to accept peace? He simply wants destruction and that is why he was elected.

Yan
United States
13/01/2009
Palestinians are pawns in the game of the crazy
Israel builds bomb shelters, Hamas builds weapons smuggling tunnels....think about it. Could a cold hearted lunatic hiding 500 miles away care about his people? how can the palestinians be so blind.

Chav
United States
13/01/2009
Peace process?
What peace process does Meshaal refer to? The one that allows for a truce so Hamas can continue to smuggle rockets and weapons into Gaza to continue the "struggle?" The articulated policy of Hamas is to take back the land that Israel currently consists of. Such a mission and goal does not allow for any peace short of Israel evacuating all its current boundaries and returning its landmass to the "rightful owners."

issac
United States
13/01/2009
gaza war
the palestinian of gaza need to blame there on leader they sould all falow mr abu mazan he is the only one that know how much israel starving for peace and i hope one day we can all seat together

Khalisa
Egypt
13/01/2009
Wake up people!
It's amazing to me how clueless some people are, and how effective Israeli rhetoric is with some in the West. Most of the world, however, is not fooled. However, the US and lackeys keep blocking real attempts to stop Israel's aggression. I'm sick of people repeating the SAME tired propanganda coming from Tel Aviv, about how Hamas is responsible. How were they expected to react to Israel? What the hell would YOU do if occupiers locked your people in a literal open-air prison to starve and suffer?

Uncle Doody
Australia
13/01/2009
????
for those who are saying that Hamas brought the problem over itself, they are totally wrong, why, because Hamas has been deprived from humanitarian aids and freedom, thus its reasonable for them to fire rockets over Israel and i do not blame them. Israel doesnt want peace and the only way to stop it is to unite especially the Arab world in order for them to save their dignity.

honey
United States
13/01/2009
Gaza War Ends Peace
As long as the Genocide of the Palestinians continues from the Terrorist Zionist Israel, & anyone who keeps on comparing A DAY & NIGHT Bombardment of innocent Civilians to daily 30 Hamas Rockets better go & have their heads checked & that also soon. Israel is using Gaza as *Test Lab* just like how the Nazi used the jews for their test labs, so tell me what's the difference between Israel & the Nazis?

Thahu
India
13/01/2009
I have Land. If any 'Devils' come and occupied most of it and made 'Farm' and after that put me in openair jail and tested Arms on my children for 60 years and again cut my water,food,medicine.. what I will do? Atleast I have to launch 1meter steel pipe filled with some explosive(if they call it missile by their FOOLISHNESS) even everybody call me terrorists. They must be terrorised because they deserve it.

Debra
Australia
13/01/2009
What peace process? Hamas dont recognise it....
Hamas never recognised the Oslo peace accords and so it seems a bit strange that now they are saying there is no chance of reaching any agreements. They don't want any peace agreements. They don't want to recognise Israel. All they want to do is kill innocent people under the guise of "Jihad". In fact, they murdered hundreds of their fellow Gazans (Fatah members) just last year. I don't understand why the Gazan population voted them into power. I'll bet they are sorry now...

Sandra
Australia
14/01/2009
Peace for Palestinians
If Hamas wasnt there, the Israelis would blame someone else. Dont u people get that. It has nothing do do with the Palestinian leadership. It is genocide. In this war, Israel will gain more land, and in the process kill as many palestinians as they can. It has nothing to do with useless rockets firing at them, which hit farms and grassland.The want a 100% jewish state.They even killed arab israelis. If they cant kill them, they will die from starvation. Israeli government are murderers!

shiraz
United States
14/01/2009
debates
I wish Aljazeera could allow live debates via a chat session on this topic as it will educate many in support of Israel. If you strangle someone so they have to fight for their life then do u think they are going to sit back and say good job chuck? Well thats what Israel have been doing to the Palestinians now and in the past with their blockades. People dont even have basic rations to live! and people say the palestinians are wrong. Was Hamas ever given a chance? Errrrm NO

Hameed
Australia
14/01/2009
Why?
I can't believe some people would support the attack. Seriously speaking, ever asked why Hamas or any militant was created in Palestine in the first place? Trusting CNN with their biased news report and assuming all blame on Hamas is not only naive but stupid. Why war in the first place? Ever thought about that?

sajjad
Bangladesh
13/01/2009
why
Why Palestinians negotiate with their land? its their own land,. every thing is over, now thae muslim have to take decision that what will they do? Its time for doing something for the Palestanian, they can use oil against it.

Thahu
India
13/01/2009
When war starts, Truth will die first Most of people blaming Hamas and Palastenians. But what is the truth? Who started this war? Hamas's 1meter steel pipe rocket or Israeli's 60 years invation? As per Geneva convention, anyperson in a territory under invasion has right to fight. But most of people ignore this for their interest. Hey world, don't shout for anymore international laws if u apply it in double standard.

CA
United States
13/01/2009
most Americans
Most Americans don't even know where the Gaza Strip is.

heidi
South Africa
13/01/2009
Resistance????
Funny how all the so called top brass of Hamas are safely tucked away in neighboring countries instead of in Gaza where they keep on maintaining "their people" are suffering!!!Easy to talk and egg on when u have shelter, food and everything at ur disposal!!!Are Gazans just stupid or frightened of what these terrorists can do and actually do do to their own people like use them for human shields.Why are Arab states so quiet?Because they know Hamas are part of the problem in MEast!!!!!

jo
United States
13/01/2009
Isreals God
What a joke this Meshaal is. He and Hamas will soon see even ala bowing down to the God of Isreal saying "He is the True and Only God!!!"

Jan
United States
13/01/2009
Khaled Meshaals statement
I live on a small farm. If my neighbor, for whatever reason, started sending bombs to my property, then I would bomb the daylights out of them. What kind of ignorant mind would think that Hamas is justified? They are the aggressor. And why is the leader hiding 500 miles away? Just more evidence that Arab militants are cowards. They keep their faces covered and encourage their people to kill innocent people in the name of God. The Palenstine people need to rethink who they elected.

Thahu
India
13/01/2009
What westerners mean by Democracy."The slave leaders under their interest or ByThePeople/For ThePeople/ToThePeople?" Spreading"RocketReason"is FOOLISH propaganda byTelAviv Terrorists. Freedom fighters are not terrorists. Every Israelis are invaders.Why they are not satisfied even after occupy most parts of Palestine?

Joe Tomson
United Kingdom
13/01/2009
Media war
Al Jazeera English is a bias media, from what i understand from the reports and the comments published under the articles its seems you guys are working for the Zionists as well, disgrace on the Arabs you guys should be thrown shoes at first then Bush.

david
South Africa
13/01/2009
just a thought
Would Hamas and the Humanitarian movements rather have the IDF sitting in Ashkelon, Ashdod,Sderot and other targeted areas returning indiscriminate rocket/missile fire in the same manner as Hamas does?....It would be a great deal easier and cheaper,rather than to send in troops in order to surgically identify and fire upon legitimate targets.The reason the Israeli ground troops are there,is specifically to reduce the number of innocent civilian deaths.Lets be honest with each other.

joe ad
Malaysia
14/01/2009
israels self defence?
i wonder if israel and all israel lover terms of self defence is when someone try to stab you or kill your love ones, you retaliate and kill all the people living in the same city or district as the perpetrator. i wonder what would the likud party of israel will react if kadima party won the election, and then put a blockade on food, fuel, electricity, water, around likud party's stronghold?

mujiyono
Indonesia
14/01/2009
Spirite for freedom or death
There's nothing to do for all of palestine people but fight into death come to your life as our national slogan in 1945 - 1950 when the the netherlands tried to occupy our soil,we made slogan freedom or death. Be a cat than be a mouse !

James Saunders
United Kingdom
14/01/2009
reply to steve
Hi steve it is clear your views are biased. Hamas were dmocratically voted by the Palestinians, who if you know wat democrqacy have the right to choose. Why does democracy not apply to muslim nations. Secondly how did Israel ever think they would be able to walk into Israel and stop rocket attacks with their approach? They have bred more hatred as have the all powerful US allies. Nothing justifies the death of innocent people. What is the UN for if they are overuled by ISRAEL?

ABU JUNDI
Indonesia
14/01/2009
WAHN
All Arabs leaders already have Wahn Disease, they only love their self without knowing that "innamal Mu'minuna Ikhwatun", they have betrayed Prophet Muhammad by letting Palestinian got butched by Israel Laknatullah Alaih. All Arab Leaders : Please, you are moslem and Palestinians are moslem too, help them with all your best. Israel is just a small country, Are the Arab Leaders preferred to be afraid of Israel instead of Allah?

Ernest
United States
14/01/2009
Gaza
This is really bad and very depressing. I have one request of Hamas. Hurry up and accept a truce. You have to have compassion for what you are putting the people through.

igor
Israel
14/01/2009
hamas
first of all i would like to say that war is never easy,people are killed in wars thats a fact.i was a soldier,and any of you that knows how it is like to be in war would understend.the hamas leaders are useing the people of gaza as a shield to pretect themself,he said that israel is doing a "holocaust" in gaza,he has no right to say that because the nazis killed JEWS only because of they religion,israel dont fight the islam we fight the terror that allows killing chieldren in the name of god.

 
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