23 January 2001

In the name of Allah the most gracious the most Merciful

The holy Aqsa intifada

An intifada to defeat occupation

Communiqué no. (19)

“O ye who believe! if ye obey the Unbelievers, they will drive you back on your heels, and ye will turn back (from Faith) to your own loss. Nay, Allah is your protector, and He is the best of helpers.”

Taba negotiations will not deceive our people

And will not halt resistance or the intifada

Our stationed Palestinian people

Our glorified Arab-Islamic nation

It is not strange that the Zionist enemy would be surprised by severity of the Mujahideen and fighters’ strikes. It is also not strange that Zionist leaders would stand powerless in face of the holy Aqsa intifada. Lessons of history and the present prove that peoples under occupation equipping themselves with steadfastness, patience and force, who revolt on the basis of unity and understanding then make of their blood and sacrifices a bridge to cross to their just goals, eventually realize victory and actualize aspirations.

Our Mujahid people, with the testimony of contemporary history and our blessed intifada, have proven a great ability to forebear sacrifices and difficulties and to bypass siege, terrorism and starvation. Our people maintained their faithful pledge with Allah and Nation to persist along the road not fearing tyranny, conspiracies or attempts to undermine the glorified intifada.

Our Mujahid people … our glorified Nation

 It is utterly dismaying to witness the feverish racing to the absurd negotiations and keenness on security meetings at a time when our people are still the target of one of the cruelest Zionist terrorist offensive and the most savage attacks by Jewish settlers. Such practice includes burning houses, destroying crops and terrifying civilians in front of the very eyes of the whole world such as what took place in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in Al-Mighraka, Khalil and other Palestinian cities and villages. Moreover, the negotiating process contradicts our people’s unanimous concordance on continuation in the struggle and intifada and rejection of all forms of talks or meetings with the Zionist enemy, which we consider as wasting our people’s sufferings and blood just for the sake of beautifying the enemy’s ugly face while addressing a bad message to the world.

It is surprising that such meetings are quickening as the Palestinian Authority is proposing marathon negotiations in Taba within framework of the document tabled by the outgoing American president Bill Clinton to save terrorist Barak from his ordeal and market him as the best one to make peace in the upcoming Zionist elections. Certain politicians’ attempt to support Barak’s election chances compared to terrorist Sharon after the former’s missile and tanks’ bombardment of residential quarters, assassination of Mujahideen and honorable figures and the siege of our people is an encroachment on blood of martyrs, sufferings of the wounded and the deprived. It also serves as a deadly arrow directed at our intifada and people in addition to turning the back to our Arab and Islamic Nation that stands in one trench in backing of our people and their Jihad.

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, while affirming, at this historical stage, its rejection and condemnation of any agreement or understanding infringing on our legitimate and historic rights in holy Palestine and on the return of our people to their lands and homes, calls for the following:

First: on the Arab and Islamic level:

First: Hamas urges the Arab and Islamic peoples to show more support and solidarity with the Aqsa intifada on the political, informational, material and moral levels and to revive the economic boycott of the Zionist enemy and refuse any form of meeting or coordination with it in addition to declaring rejection of any attempt aimed at liquidating the Palestine cause.

Second: On the tenth anniversary of the oppressive siege, Hamas asks the Arab and Islamic countries to break the siege on the Iraqi Muslim people.

Third: We appeal to Sheikh of Al-Azhar Dr. Mohammed Tantawi to rescind his invitation to visit Al-Quds and the Aqsa under Zionist occupation since the call contradicts the Fatwa of the Azhar Ulamah (religious scholars) and similar ones by the Nation’s Ulamah. Furthermore, the Zionist enemy would exploit such a call to endorse its aggression and occupation; it would also encourage Zionist arrogance. We believe that any form of support to the intifada and the Aqsa should be displayed in the Nation’s backing of our people with arms and elements of steadfastness rather than visiting the Aqsa under occupation.

Fourth: We request all forces, parties and institutions in the Arab and Islamic world to organize activities in support of our people and our Nation’s rights in Al-Quds and the holy Aqsa Mosque along with our people’s right of return to their lands from which they were forcibly evacuated and to publicize such issues on all occasions.

Second: on the Palestinian level:

First: The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, asks the PA to respond to the popular and factional stand that calls for ending the absurd negotiations with the Zionist enemy and to stop beautifying face of the mass murderer Barak and covering up for his crimes under unacceptable justifications. We affirm that any agreement infringing on our legitimate rights in holy Palestine, in Al-Quds and the Aqsa will be rejected by our people and will not be binding to future generations but rather will carry seeds of its annulment and will not withstand for long regardless of any attempt to beautify or market it.

Second: Hamas appeals to the PA not to have pending hopes on the new American administration under president Bush, affirming the importance of depending on Almighty Allah’s invincible power then on the potentials of our people and Nation and to deepen our unity in the trench of the intifada and resistance.

Third: Hamas urges the PA to firmly deal with the phenomenon of collaborators, stressing the importance of purging our people from their dirt and corruption. Hamas draws the PA’s attention to the necessity of dealing with the root of the problem on all levels and with all means in accordance to justice, religious commitment and legal discipline away from suspicion so as to avoid confusion and strife.

Fourth: Hamas denounces security meetings and demands the PA to stop all forms of security coordination with the enemy, which leads to foiling our people’s Jihad and intifada in addition to harming our cause and rights. The Movement also calls for releasing all the detained Mujahideen who are still in PA jails in a bid to boost our people’s steadfastness in confrontation of the enemy and to defeat occupation.

Fifth: Hamas advocates activating our people’s right of return including holding conferences and rallies in Palestine and in camps in the diaspora to ascertain the right of return and to reject all projects aimed at liquidating that right under any circumstances. We appreciate in this sphere our people’s moves in the homeland and the diaspora and their insistence on the right of return and their unanimity on rejecting anything that might reduce or prune that right.

Sixth: Hamas hails our people and the blessed intifada as well as all Mujahideen and strugglers who are striking the enemy at the confrontation lines and in depth. Hamas also salutes the Qassam heroic martyr the hero of the martyrdom operation in Natanya Hamed Abu Hajle and the Qassam Brigades especially their latest operation that targeted a Zionist tank. We call on our people to launch more resistance operations and to activate all forms of economic boycott of Zionist and American products.

Seventh: Hamas affirms its stable stance towards national unity on the basis of resistance and escalation of the intifada. The Movement hails steadfastness of our heroes in jails of the Zionist occupation who are facing the most brutal forms of repression and we affirm to them that our people back them until their freedom is achieved.

Third: activities:

Hamas affirms all activities included in the National-Islamic program and calls for escalating the intifada on Fridays and to offer prayers in the Aqsa Mosque and to station there.

Allahu Akbar wa Lilallah Al-Hamd

And it is a Jihad until either victory or martyrdom

The Islamic Resistance Movement

Hamas – Palestine

28 Shawal 1421H

23 January 2001AD