Hamas and other Palestinian factions opposing the Palestinian Authority issued a statement yesterday from Damascus in which they considered that the Egyptian initiative to stop the war on Gaza is no valid basis for a solution, and that it aims to crush the resistance. The statement of the alliance that includes Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine also said that the initiative helps the occupation force reach the objectives it failed to achieve through the military aggression.
Referring to Egypt, the statement added: “We are astonished at the participation of some Arab parties in this plan that would stifle the resistance and besiege our people.”
It continued: “We reject international troops or observers in the Gaza Strip, because we consider it as securing the occupation and besieging the resistance and our people.”
Yet no position from Hamas per se was declared as regards the Egyptian initiative that calls for an immediate and temporary cease-fire to allow the passage of humanitarian aid, for the Israelis and the Palestinians to meet in Egypt to discuss the security of the Gaza borders and for reconciliation among the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, unknown gunmen yesterday opened another front against Israel when they launched 4 Katyusha rockets from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, wounding 5 people. Israel responded to the sources of the firing immediately.
Hezbollah and Hamas denied their involvement in the rocket launch, and the Lebanese government condemned it. On the other hand, Anwar Raja, the information officer of the Popular Front, commented: “The nation has the right to defend itself with all means.”
Israel pointed at the Palestinians residing in Lebanon, not at Hezbollah. Meanwhile, the situation calmed down relatively, compared to the expected intensification of the attacks against the backdrop of the Israeli Security Cabinet meeting the day before yesterday that discussed the expansion of the ground operations, and against the total number of Palestinians killed reaching 763 and 3155 injured, as the director of the ambulance and emergency department at the Palestinian Ministry of Health yesterday said that 50 more bodies of Palestinians were found.
In Cairo, Omar Suleiman met with Israeli officials to discuss the Egyptian initiative, while Israel asked for guarantees to put an end to the arms smuggling across the border. As the initiative is getting Arab and international support, an Egyptian official source rejected the recent statements by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Egypt. The source said: “Nasrallah knows nothing. He is just throwing poisonous arrows at Egypt from his hiding place.” Mount Lebanon Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Ali Al-Jouzo said: “Nasrallah is launching a suspicious Iranian campaign with serious regional and sectarian dimensions.” Meanwhile, there were more demonstrations in Cairo and the provinces by members of the ruling National Democratic Party and the opposition parties against the Israeli massacre.
