Hamas warns of more rocket attacks unless all demands are met

Hamas has announced its position regarding a permanent cease fire with Israel: the Israelis must meet all of Hamas’ demands:

[Hamas spokesman] Mushir al-Masri advised tens of thousands of Israelis who left their homes in the South not to return unless Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu complied with all the demands of Hamas and other groups. . . .

The Hamas spokesman claimed that Israel has only one choice: to comply with the demands of the Palestinians.

Nor should Israel expect demilitarization of Gaza in exchange for meeting all of Hamas’ demands:

[Masri] also pointed out that the issue of disarming Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip was not discussed during the Cairo talks. “The weapons of the resistance are sacred and we won’t give them up,” al-Masri said.”

Masri made these remarks at a rally in Gaza:

The rallies began after noon prayers when thousands of Palestinians took to the streets chanting slogans in support of Hamas. Carrying Hamas’ green flags, the demonstrators also called on the Palestinian groups to launch rockets at Tel Aviv.

How many “thousands of Palestinians” participated is not clear. But those who participated in calling for renewed rocket attacks on Tel Aviv will have nothing legitimately to complain about if Israeli missiles land in their homes or at their feet.

Hamas continues to talk a good game as Gaza increasingly becomes rubble:

“The war has not ended and our fighters are still in the battlefield and their fingers are still on the trigger. Our rockets are also still directed toward Tel Aviv and Lod and beyond them. The tunnels are still alive and exist deep inside the Zionist entity.”

Perhaps. But Hamas’ confidence, to whatever degree it truly exists, probably has more to do with the fact that President Obama backs its general demand for an end to the isolation of Gaza — an end that would enable Hamas to obtain many more “sacred” weapons to direct toward “the Zionist entity.”

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