19 July 2001

Sharon will pay the price and our battle with the Zionists is open

“Will ye not fight people who violated their oaths, plotted to expel the Messenger, and took the aggressive by being the first (to assault) you? Do ye fear them? Nay, it is Allah Whom ye should more justly fear, if ye believe!”

The Zionist aggression against our unarmed people is still escalating along with the policy of assassination, kidnap, destruction of houses, siege, starvation and massacres, the latest of which being the heinous carnage in Bethlehem that killed four Hamas cadres and wounded several others. Furthermore, the Zionist army has been sending reinforcements to vicinities of Palestinian cities in preparation for storming them amidst expectations of escalation and widening of the Zionist warfare launched by Sharon against our people and Nation.

We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, would like to clarify and affirm the following:

First: the Zionist military build up at entrances of cites and villages and threatening to storm them does not terrorize our people who vowed before Allah to maintain steadfastness, patience and resistance. The people’s Jihad forces are capable, with the grace and help of Allah, to confront and repel the Zionist aggression.

Second: we call on our people in all cities, villages and refugee camps to get ready and unite their lines adopting all necessary measures to confront the Zionist threats and foil any attack.

Third: the enemy’s monstrous crime in Bethlehem will not pass unpunished. Sharon and all Zionists will pay a dear price and the reprisal will be a painful one God willing.

Fourth: our people are entitled to resisting the Zionist occupation and retaliate to its arrogance, massacres and aggressions. This is a legitimate right practiced by our people and Jihad factions in any place on the land of Palestine whether in the West Bank or Gaza Strip or the 1948 occupied areas. Faced by an enemy that is occupying our lands and launching a large-scale war against us, we are all entitled to retaliate with an open battle and comprehensive resistance.

Fifth: terrorist Sharon, who has given his army and settlers a free hand to wreak havoc in our lands, killing, destroying and terrorizing, is claiming his abidance by the ceasefire and is spreading deceptive allegations in this regard in world platforms with US support. On the Palestinian level, our people are daily suffering Zionist aggressions, yet certain parties are advocating calming down the situation, condemning martyrdom operations and warning Jihad factions against launching any military operation in 1948 lands in addition to threatening a return to the policy of arrests and even did that on certain occasions!

Sixth: we along with all our people’s factions affirm our absolute rejection of the policy of arresting the heroic Mujahideen, who are defending our people. We denounce the Palestinian Authority’s security bodies’ step of arresting two Hamas cadres in Qalqilya and trying to arrest others in Jenin. We call on the Authority and its security apparatuses to immediately release the detainees and refrain from resuming that policy, which is a big stab in the back of our national unity, at a time when our people are in dire need of mobilizing efforts and potentials in face of the Zionist aggression.

Seventh: we fervently appeal to our Arab and Islamic Nation to back our Palestinian people’s steadfastness and resistance with all means possible. We urge the Arab leaders and officials in particular to hold an emergency summit meeting in which they would declare general mobilization and supply Palestinian resistance with money and arms. Talking about settlements and peace is a farce and a cover-up for Sharon’s aggressive policy, who is no longer waiting for any excuse to continue his terrorism and aggression against our Palestinian people and our Arab and Islamic Nation. It is about time today to end once and for all contacts with Zionists and their criminal symbols such as Peres, Omri Sharon and their likes.

“And soon will the unjust assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take!”

The Islamic Resistance Movement
Hamas – Palestine
Thursday 28^th Rabee Thani 1422H
19^th July 2001AD