Source: AFP, 16-10-2006
GAZA CITY - The ruling Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas has vowed to teach the "Israeli" military a "lesson it will not forget" should the army intensify an offensive in the Gaza Strip as promised.
Its armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, declared it had the "means and arms necessary to confront the Zionist enemy with all our force if it proceeds (further) with military operations in the Gaza Strip".
"Israel" has repeatedly threatened to step up an offensive in the Palestinian territory, where 22 people have been killed since Thursday and more than 250 since late June, in a bid to stop rocket attacks and arms smuggling from Egypt.
Defence (War) Minister Amir Peretz reiterated that, if necessary, "Israel" would extend its military activity in Gaza and vowed to weaken Hamas militarily.
"I will not allow the Gaza Strip to turn into south Lebanon. We intend to take all necessary action to prevent Hamas` strengthening. We intend to act in ways to prevent it from strengthening and to weaken Hamas` ability to carry out attacks," he told reporters.
"We have considerably increased the military activity in Gaza. If we are required to extend it further, we will do so," he added.
Hitting back at accusations of militants amassing stockpiles of smuggled arms, Hamas` armed wing accused "Israel" of "using such allegations to justify criminal operations it seems to have decided to wage in the Gaza Strip".
"It is our right to hold whatever weapons (we need) to defend our people since the enemy does not hesitate before using all sorts of weapons, banned by international conventions, against innocent Palestinian civilians.
"If the enemy decides to go towards a large confrontation with Hamas, we will be up to this challenge and are totally ready to resist. We have finished preparations to teach the Zionist enemy a lesson it will not forget," it added.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya told the weekly meeting of his Hamas-led cabinet that "Israeli" "accusations" of arms smuggling were "lies".
"The occupation presents many excuses to justify its huge aggression," he said.
"This escalation comes after all attempts of pressure and political blackmail failed to force the Palestinian people to have the government`s position fall in line with (international) demands," charged Haniya.
Hamas has resolutely refused immense pressure from the international community for any Palestinian government to recognise "Israel" and past "Israeli"-Palestinian agreements, and to officially renounce violence.
Nevertheless its stance has deadlocked efforts to form a national unity government with the moderate Fatah party in order to escape the crushing international boycott and witnessed the rise of inter-factional clashes.
Haniya urged Palestinians to keep such clashes "at bay" in order to confront the outside "aggression".
"Israel" has waged a massive offensive in Gaza since June 28, three days after Gaza-based militants, including the Hamas armed wing, abducted one of its soldiers on the border with the Palestinian territory.
According to an AFP count, more than 250 Palestinians and two "Israeli" soldiers have been killed inside Gaza since then. The captured soldier has been neither found nor returned and rocket attacks continue to strike "Israel".