Hamas to Resume Attacks if Blockade on Arafat Continues

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 16, 2002

Hamas to Resume Attacks if Blockade on Arafat Continues

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Islamic Hamas movement warned on Tuesday that if Israel continues the blockade on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, its armed wing would carry out a series of attacks that would shake the state of Israel.

Hamas armed wing Izel El Dein El Kassam called in a leaflet for building up a national Palestinian army "to bring security to the residents and protect them and defend their rights, and put a plan for the continuation of the Intifada."

The leaflet said that Hamas armed wing would strongly react into the "Zionist enemy depth, if the enemy would not end closure and the measures imposed of Palestinian president Yasser Arafat." "Our reaction would be by carrying out a number of attacks that would shake the Zionist entity and make its people's (Israelis) life like hill," said the Hamas statement.

After Arafat's speech on December 16 to all Palestinian militants, in which he urged them to stop suicide bombing attacks against Israel, Hamas was among the first groups to announce its commitments to Arafat's call.

Hamas had said that attacks into Israel would be stopped, but Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers into Gaza and the West Bank would become a target for their militants.

Two Hamas militants were killed after they shot dead four Israeli soldiers few days ago near Rafah town between southern Gaza Strip and Israel.

Arafat promised that he would continue cracking down on militant groups. The Palestinian security forces had already detained dozens of militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

"We call upon the Palestinian authority to stop all its measures of arresting our members, and we urge the Palestinian officials to stop saying that arresting the Mujahidin is for the high interest of the Palestinian people," said the leaflet.

Hamas said that "the crime of killing Raed Carmi," Fatah militant in Tulkarem, on Monday and the demolition of homes in Rafah and in east Jerusalem "would never pass easily." Hamas reiterated in the leaflet that it would continue to " resist" the Israeli military occupation until the end of it in the Palestinian territories.

"No one single Zionist would enjoy calmness and security as long as the Palestinian lands are occupied and the rights are confiscated," the Hamas leaflet warned.

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