Hamas Fugitive Deif: Continue Armed Struggle Until Destroy Israel

2005-08-27

[IMRA: In an Israel Radio interview this evening Guy Bechor, who heads the Middle East department of the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, called on Israel to take a strong position requiring that the PA act immediately against Deif. In sharp contrast, Labor Party MK Ephraim Sneh told Israel Radio this evening that he had just returned from a visit with PA head Abbas in Gaza and that Israel should do everything it can to support Abbas and that the PA cannot be expected to actually fight the terrorists "immediately" but instead after a "political social" process. Sneh, who head the Labor Party Knesset faction then noted that the PA had succeed in preventing attacks during the evacuation of Gaza communities. While the Israel Radio program anchor then remarked "this shows that the PA can act when it wants to" she declined then to ask MK Sneh why, given the ability of the PA to act when it wants to, that he has opted to come out with a remark that lowers expectations of serious PA action against terror for the foreseeable future.]

Top Hamas fugitive Deif appears in video

Associated Press
The Jerusalem Post

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Hamas on Saturday released a rare videotape of a man it said is the bombmaker pursued by Israeli security forces for more than a decade.

The man, identifying himself as Israel's most-wanted terrorist Muhammad Deif, described Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as a victory for armed resistance, rejected calls for his group to disarm, and vowed to continue attacks on Israel until the Jewish state is erased from the map.

"You are leaving Gaza today in shame," he said. "Today you are leaving hell. But we promise you that tomorrow all Palestine will be hell for you, God willing."

Israeli officials on Saturday urged the Palestinian Authority to crack down on Hamas following the release of the videotape. Gideon Meir, a senior Foreign Ministry official, said the Gaza pullout was aimed in part at improving the atmosphere between Israel and the Palestinians. He said the comments by Deif threaten the chances of resuming peace talks, which Israel has said would depend on the Palestinian Authority's willingness to disarm militant groups.

"Muhammad Deif is an arch-terrorist. He has personally masterminded hundreds of suicide bombings and is personally responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent Israelis," Meir said. "His natural place is behind bars."

Deif's declaration proves again why the Palestinian Authority must fulfill its duty and fight the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades, Meir added, referring to the major armed Palestinian groups.

"The disengagement opened a prospect of hope for the Palestinian people and Muhammad Deif is trying to spoil the show," he said.

Deif has been living underground since 1992 and has escaped at least two alleged assassination attempts, among them a missile strike in 2002 in which he lost an eye.

The high quality of the video - stamped with the logo of the Hamas military wing - and the similarity of the voice to his previous recordings would appear to indicate that the tape is authentic.

Hamas members delivered the tape to The Associated Press office in Gaza City, and said recently that a video of Deif would soon be released. Hamas also posted a transcript of his comments on its website.

In the video, Deif sat in a chair wearing a dark shirt and waving his hand as he spoke in a deep voice. He praised the hundreds of terrorists who have died in attacks against Israel, and said the violence had driven Israel out of the Gaza Strip.

"Without this jihad and this steadfastness, we did not achieve the liberation of the Gaza Strip," he said.

In messages to Palestinians living in the West Bank and Arabs inside Israel, he vowed to continue the group's violent efforts until it expels Israel from the West Bank and ultimately eliminates the state.

"We will not hesitate, and we will not rest until we liberate our holy land fully," he said.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has called on Hamas and other terror organizations to lay down their weapons once the withdrawal is complete, though he so far has rejected Israeli demands to confront the terrorists with force. Deif rejected calls to disarm, but said any differences between Palestinian factions should be resolved peacefully.

"We warn against touching these weapons, and want to keep them as an effective element to liberate the rest of our homeland," he said. "We want to use dialogue to solve any differences in order to protect our Palestinian blood and our national achievement."

Hamas and Abbas's Fatah movement are in a bitter struggle over who should receive credit from the Palestinian public for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The two parties are set to compete in Palestinian legislative elections in January. Hamas is expected to make a strong showing, particularly in its Gaza stronghold.

JPost Staff contributed to this report

Source: IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis