"Hamas leader cites victory in Gaza as supporters rally" by Ben Hubbard, Associated Press | January 31, 2009
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - More than 5,000 Hamas supporters rallied in Gaza yesterday, as a leader of the Islamic militant group emerged from hiding to declare victory in the 23-day Israeli offensive that devastated much of the Palestinian territory.
Hamas lawmaker Khalil al-Hayeh appeared in public for the first time since the war began Dec. 27 and remained defiant despite the group's heavy losses.
"We thank God when we see our houses bombed and our institutions destroyed but our people say yes to the resistance and yes to martyrdom for the sake of God," Hayeh said, standing in front of the damaged Palestinian parliament building. "We say proudly that Gaza has won the war, the resistance has won the war, and Hamas has won the war."
Israeli launched its offensive to stop eight years of near-daily militant rocket fire from Gaza at southern Israeli towns. Nearly 1,300 Palestinians were killed in the fighting, about half of them civilians, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. Thirteen Israelis were also killed, three of them civilians.
Aaaaah, you get sick of the MSM lying: Israel Lied About Broken Truce, Rocket Attacks
The aerial and ground offensive ended with a tentative cease-fire Jan. 18. Hamas has since resumed scattered rocket attacks.
While Israel has just SAT on their ASSES, I am sure!
Please see: Ceasefires, Israeli-Style
The Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, said he hopes the truce will hold. But he also warned that Israel would strike hard against Hamas once more if it continued to fire rockets....
Which makes you wonder who is REALLY firing off those rockets?
Hamas Official Blames Rockets On Collaborators
The rockets being fired from Gaza into Israel is the work of Israeli collaborators, says Ahmed Yusuf, political adviser to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. He says Hamas was willing to agree to a new cease-fire with Israel, but Israel hadn't lived up to its end of the bargain.
And CUI BONO, 'eh?
At yesterday's demonstration in Gaza, the crowd waved red and white Turkish flags next to green Hamas banners. Hayeh called Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey "a hero" for criticizing Israel over the Gaza offensive.
A Palestinian held a portrait of Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey while shouting anti-Israeli slogans during a rally outside the damaged parliament building in Gaza yesterday. (ABID KATIB/GETTY IMAGES)
Erdogan stalked off the stage during a panel discussion Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, after telling President Shimon Peres of Israel: "You kill people."
Related: Spokesman For the World
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Also see: Did Mossad try to topple a NATO ally?
