GAZA: Thousands of Palestinians wearing the green scarves of Hamas rallied in the Gaza Strip to mark the 25th anniversary of the Islamic groups founding and recent victory in 8-day war against Israel .
The militant movements political chief, Khaled Mashaal, on his first visit to the Hamas-ruled Mediterranean enclave, also spoke at todays assembly, which the group said was also attended by about 2,500 members of Islamic delegations from Indonesia, Mauritania, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Libya and Jordan.
The stage had a backdrop depicting a damaged house with a rocket sticking out of it, a reference to an attack launched from Gaza on Jerusalem during the recent eight-day war. Hamas is considered to be a terrorist group by Israel, the U.S. and the European Union.
Meshaal, in an uncompromising speech told a sea of flag-waving supporters that he would never recognise Israel and pledged to free the land of Palestine inch by inch.
Meshaal was born in the nearby West Bank but spent all his adult life in exile before arriving in Gaza on Friday for a 48-hour visit. The trip comes just two weeks after an eight-day conflict between Israel and Hamas that ended with a ceasefire.
Palestine is ours from the river to the sea and from the south to the north. There will be no concession on an inch of the land, he told the crowds, saying he wanted the Palestinians to have all the territory that makes up modern-day Israel.
Oh dear Meshaal, your army struck Tel Aviv, supporters chanted, referring to the recent war in which Palestinians fired Iranian supplied missiles for the first time at Israels largest city, 70 kilometres up the coast, and also at occupied Jerusalem.
Oh Qassam, do it again, hit Haifa next time, the crowds said, referring to a port city north of Tel Aviv.
Huge crowds came to attend today because Hamas achieved a victory in the last war on the Gaza Strip and forced Israel to accept the terms of the Palestinian resistance groups, Asaad Abu Sharkh, a political analyst at Gazas al-Azhar University, said by phone. By this victory Hamas shows its way is successful, the way of armed resistance and not negotiations, which can never bring any victory.
Syrians, Hezbollah
Hamas put the size of todays rally at 500,000 people, saying it was the largest turnout for such an event since the group was founded in 1987. Members of the rebel Free Army of Syria attended, Hamas said, as did a representative of the Lebanons Hezbollah.
Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, ending a partnership government with Abbas a year after winning parliamentary elections. Hamas refuses to recognize or negotiate with Israel.
Abbas, who has held peace talks with Israel in the past, controls the West Bank from the city of Ramallah. Direct negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel ceased completely in September 2010 after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to extend a 10-month moratorium on building more settlements in the West Bank. Abbas said he wouldnt resume talks without a total freeze.
More than 160 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed during last months conflict, as Israel carried out an air and naval bombardment of Gaza and Palestinian militants fired rockets and mortar shells.
Mashaal has led Hamass political bureau since 1996. He was born in the West Bank in 1956 and has lived in Kuwait and Jordan, where his involvement with Hamas began. He was based in Damascus until moving to Qatar this year, and has said he wont seek re-election as the groups political leader.
Israel and Egypt sealed Gazas borders in June 2007 after Hamas broke off its power-sharing agreement with the Palestinian Authority. The restrictions have been eased in recent years, and Hamas says further loosening is one of the elements of last months cease-fire accord. Agencies
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