Deif: `“Hamas will use force against Israeli, P.A attacks`

Mohammad Deif, a prominent Hamas activist topped the Israeli most-wanted list for more than 15 years, said on Saturday that Hams would response fiercely to any attack against it, no matter if the attacks are carried out by Israel or the Palestinian Authority.

“We will retaliate to any attack against us, whether from Israel or the P.A”, Deif stated, “We will retaliate harshly to any attack on us”.

Saturday morning, Hamas published on its website the names of seven leaders of Iz Ed Deen Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the movement, for the first time; the movement also published brief biographies of the leaders and photos in some cases.

Several names included in the list are known, including that of Deif, the top leaders of Hamas’ military wing.

Several names had been public knowledge, including that of Deif, top commander of the military wing and No. 1 on Israel’s wanted list for more than 15 years; other names were kept secret until now. 

Deif: “Israel leaves Gaza humiliated”       

Saed Bannoura – IMEMC & Agencies – Saturday, 27 August 2005

Mohammad Deif, a prominent Hamas activist, also believed to be a master bomb-maker wanted by Israeli security forces for the last decade, appeared on a video tape Saturday saying that Israel is leaving Gaza “humiliated by the continuous strikes of the resistance.”

Deif added that the resistance should not hand over its arms, but instead should keep the “weapons of resistance side by side with the political work” and urged the Palestinian Authority and Hamas to choose dialogue in order to resolve their differences.

Deif has topped the Israeli most-wanted list for more than 15 years.  Israeli security believes that Deif led several attacks against Israel and planned suicide bombings that killed dozens of Israelis in the nineties.

He survived three assassination attempts, the latest of which was carried out in 2002.  He lost one of his eyes in the attack carried out by an Israeli apache.

Deif appeared in a video, which was published by the Associated Press, like a shadow, calmly talking while waving his hands, and spoke about the steadfastness of the Palestinian resistance “which expelled the occupation from the Gaza Strip.”

“Gaza’s liberation came as a result of the armed struggle and the steadfastness of our people,” Deif added.

“We will not hesitate in resuming our resistance,” Deif said. “We will not stop or rest before liberating our Holy Land”.