Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News: hamas

Showing posts with label hamas. Show all posts

Sunday, November 25, 2018

British professor an unabashed fan of Hamas and its "poetry"

Check out this abstract of a paper published at the Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication by Atef Alshaer, who lectures at the University of Westminster and who wrote this while at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London:

This article sheds light on poetry written by two of the most prominent leaders of Hamas, assassinated by Israel in 2003 and 2004, respectively: Ibrahim al-Maqadmah and Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi. Both leaders took part in the creation of Hamas and propagated its ideology in political, cultural and other fields. Poetry, being the premier form of artistic expression in the Arab world, is used by the leaders of Hamas to present their experiences in Israeli prisons, and their vision and involvement in the Palestinian struggle. The sentiments that their poetry expresses, reveal deep and nuanced cultural, political and philosophical dimensions. The poetry of Hamas can be characterized as one of commitment, suffering, pain, longing, defiance, and certainty.

The paper is even worse, as Alshaer refers to the murderous leaders of Hamas as "intellectuals" who suffered a "cruel fate":

Al-Rantisi became the movement’s leader following the assassination of founder Ahmad Yasin by Israel in 2004, and was himself assassinated by Israel later that year. Ibrahim al-Maqadmah was also assassinated by Israel in 2003. Both had similar life experiences, and ultimately shared the same cruel fate, like many other Palestinian intellectuals.

See? Israel doesn't target Hamas terrorists who blow up buses and pizza shops with women and children - it targets Palestinian intellectuals!

The entire paper is filled with love of Hamas and denial of its violent nature. In this section, Alshaer claims that Rantisi only wants peace, a desire frustrated by Israel:

In these lines, al-Rantisi shows an existential paradox, wherein Palestinian lives have been disrupted and deprived of normality: on the one hand, there is the desire to live in peace and to see fulfillment of one’s needs and desires, and on the other, there are the forces which have rendered impossible the fulfillment of these needs and desires. Confronted by this dilemma, al-Rantisi chooses to resist injustice.

"Justice," of course, is the destruction of Israel.

Rantisi's poem urging his son to take up violence is interpreted romantically by Alshaer:

Better to die than to live as a coward… here you are rotting in a prison with no price/ tomorrow you die, and you will be buried/ O, pity on me, to whom you would leave your sons/ and the wife you will leave behind to wolves…I fear that you would be exiled tomorrow/ you would leave your house derelict; complain over the ruins/ you search for a trusted friend/ to cry for you or share the suffering with you…I forewarn you my son not to bow to an idol, not to return the sword to the sheath/ go in life as you like; I would not be satisfied with such a life without struggle.

This is a moving poem, clouded by paradoxes and occasional mysteries, such as when he fears that his wife would be left to wolves if he dies. Wolves are depicted as representing the ultimate danger; he understandably is racked with worry over the state of his wife and his sons if he is not to be with them. Here, the poet depicts himself as ‘the man, guardian, of the house’ who ensures the safety and security of his family. But finally, Al-Rantisi beckons his son not to give up: what is at stake deserves sacrifices; not doing so would be tantamount to surrendering to the forces that deny Palestinians a life of dignity and peace.

The keywords that Alshaer uses to describe this paper shows his romanticizing of the terror group:

poetry , Hamas , Arabic literature, Islamic poetry, prison, commitment, pain, defiance, hope and optimism

Alshaer, who clearly shares Hamas' philosophy, does admit that Hamas' poetry proves that Hamas is not interested in peace with Israel but in creating an Islamic state:

[W]ithin the grand scheme of Hamas’ ideology, an independent Palestinian state is only a stepping stone towards the realization of a larger Islamic polity that would encapsulate territories larger than Palestine, and ultimately culminates in an Islamic caliphate.

This guy is teaching swooning college students how wonderful Hamas is.

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The ICRC did the exact opposite of what was needed in Gaza in its meeting with Hamas

The New York Times eagerly reported in 2015:

GAZA CITY — A new training regimen for fighters in Hamas’s armed wing employs slide presentations and a whiteboard rather than Kalashnikov rifles and grenades. The young men wear polo shirts instead of fatigues and black masks. They do not chant anti-Israel slogans, but discuss how the Geneva Conventions governing armed conflict dovetail with Islamic principles.

The three-day workshop, conducted last month by the International Committee of the Red Cross, followed numerous human-rights reports accusing both Israel and Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, of war crimes in their devastating battle last summer, and came as the International Criminal Court prosecutor conducts a preliminary inquiry into that conflict.

The Red Cross developed its program in conjunction with Islamic scholars several years ago, but ramped it up after last summer’s deadly battle. So far this year, it has conducted six sessions for a total of 210 fighters from Hamas’s Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades and two other Gaza armed groups. Another workshop is scheduled for this week.

...Red Cross leaders say they have seen an increasing commitment from Hamas leaders and linemen alike, if only because they now consider their international image a critical component of their struggle.

Mamadou Sow, who heads Red Cross operations in Gaza, said that in April he presented a critique of Hamas’s conduct during the 2014 hostilities to its top political and military leaders, and that they “welcomed it” and “indicated that they are a learning organization.”

“For the first time,” said Jacques de Maio, director of the Red Cross delegation in Israel and the Palestinian territories, “Hamas is actually, in a private, protected space, expressing a readiness to look critically at a number of things that have an impact on their level of respect for international humanitarian law.”

He added, “Whether this will translate into something concrete, time will tell.”

Hamas' actions are predictable, but only to those who understand the honor/shame mentality.

Hamas isn't interested in adhering to international law because it is the right thing to do.Hamas is interested in appearing to adhere to the minimal standards of international law to avoid being shamed.

Which brings us up to yesterday:

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday discussed the fate of two Israeli civilians and the remains of two Israeli soldiers believed to be held by Hamas in a meeting with the leader of the Islamic militant group.

Officials on both sides said the status of the missing Israelis was one of a host of issues discussed in the meeting between ICRC President Peter Maurer and Yehiyeh Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza.

A Hamas official said that Maurer "heard the movement's firm position" Tuesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed.

Sinwar has said Hamas will not release any information about the missing Israelis until Israel frees 54 Palestinian prisoners who were re-arrested after being released in a 2011 prisoner swap.

Hamas has successfully learned the lessons taught by the ICRC. It is using the language of international law to insist that its prisons adhere to some sort of standard, but of course it will not allow the Red Cross to visit any actual Israeli prisoners.

The fundamental issue that Hamas has managed to obfuscate is that these "prisoners" are not prisoners - but hostages. The reason Hamas didn't allow Maurer to speak with the Israelis who for whatever reason ended up in Gaza is because it wants to use them as bargaining chips to get Israel to release terrorists and achieve other goals, and even the promise of showing proof of life is something that Hamas sees as something to be bartered..

Hostage-taking, of course, is a grave violation of international law. But Maurer, as far as we can tell, never uttered the word "hostage" to Hamas - but Hamas pretends that these Israelis are prisoners of war, or criminals.

If Maurer would have spoken out loud, ahead of the meeting, about how these Israelis are hostages and hwo the very act of demanding something for their return is illegal under international law, he could have made a difference - because Hamas would have been shamed and it seeks to avoid shame. But instead Maurer treated Hamas with respect (=honor) and Hamas now has less incentive to adhere to international law.

For Hamas and other members of the shame culture, it is all about appearances, not ethics. Maurer's meeting with Sinwar enhanced Hamas' standing in its eyes - photos of the meeting are featured in Hamas' website - but the issues are only meant to be manipulated to Hamas' advantage, not to be taken seriously.

For Hamas to change, it has to be shamed. The ICRC did the opposite, making Sinwar look like a world leader while getting nothing in return.

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Hold the presses! Nothing happened in Qatar yesterday between Abbas and Meshal!

The New York Times reports:

The leaders of the two main Palestinian factions met on Thursday in the latest attempt to reconcile after a nine-year schism that has divided their people and complicated efforts to negotiate peace with Israel.

Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, run by the Fatah faction, met in Qatar with Khaled Meshal, the political chief of Hamas, and Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader in Gaza. A photograph of the three men smiling was posted online.

The meeting was the first between Mr. Abbas and Mr. Meshal in two years. Fatah operates primarily in the West Bank under Israeli occupation while Hamas controls Gaza, which is partly cordoned off from the outside world by Israel. Repeated efforts to bridge the divide between the factions have collapsed.

The rival leaders agreed that it was time to repair the rift, establish a national unity government and prepare for elections, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. But it was not clear whether the meeting would lead to an actual agreement, or that such an agreement, even if reached, would prove any more enduring than at least five others sealed over the years.

In other words, nothing happened and nothing is going to happen. We've seen this movie before. Hamas isn't interested in giving up Gaza even though it solemnly promised not to turn Gaza into an independent state.

The official Wafa news agency of the PA didn't even bother reporting this on its English site.

Abbas is acting the way he does with Israel. He has no interest in any agreement, but when there is enough pressure on him to make one (in this case, from other Arab nations and his own people) he will do a photo-op to take the pressure off.

Yet even though his intransigence is consistent across the board, he is still regarded as a moderate and everyone he talks to is an extremist, judging from Western media accounts.

The Arab world knows better that the starry eyed US and European and Israeli leftist "experts" who insist that he is a swell guy even as he arrests any West Bank Arab who dares disagree with him.

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Hamas member killed in family dispute; he's STILL a martyr

The al-Qassam Brigades announced Asalih Alian, 23, was killed by gunfire in a family dispute in the Maan area east of Khan Younis in Gaza last night.

Even though he was not killed doing anything remotely jihadist, Hamas still considers him a "shahid," or martyr.

Maybe because they didn't want to waste all of his martyrdom photos that he posed for, hoping for a much more glorious death at the hands of the Zionists.

The failed jihadist was married and had a two month old child, who will now lack a strong terrorist role model for a father. This is one of the tragedies of Gaza.

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John Kerry's wishful thinking vs. Middle East reality

Both these videos were released in the past day.

One is John Kerry on Al Arabiya saying why he is optimistic about peace talks. Gosh, he just can't imagine why people wouldn't want to live in peace with each other.Everyone wants the same thing, right?

The other is a MEMRI video of a Hamas youth camp graduation. These are the thousands of Gaza high school kids that underwent paramilitary training and anti-Israel brainwashing over the past several months.

I thought the two videos complement each other.

Kids in Gaza schools learning to kill Jews

Hate 101, as (apparently) Reuters goes to Hamas schools to see what those cute tykes are learning.

Hamas, like all good governments, is investing its money into the next generation.

(h/t Ian)

Amnesty's incitement against Israel (UPDATED)

I have noted here many times that Israel has no restrictions of diesel and petroleum into Gaza, outside of the physical amount that can be transferred via the pipeline at Kerem Shalom. (As far as I can tell, that pipeline has never reached capacity.)

The current Gaza fuel crisis started when Hamas decided in 2011 that it didn't want fuel from Israel and instead chose to run Gaza's power plant with Egyptian fuel, sold by smugglers at lower prices that reflected the subsidy that Egypt gives all its petroleum. When Hamas' Muslim Brotherhood patrons lost power, Hamas lost its source of fuel as the smuggling tunnels were closed.

Now, instead of paying market prices (and PA taxes), Hamas chose to let the Gaza power plant shut down, causing a cascading crisis as water treatment plants, water pumps and other essential infrastructure gets shut off. This was a cynical decision on Hamas' part, as they gambled that the resulting media coverage about the crisis they started would pressure Egypt, Qatar, the PA and perhaps Gulf countries to provide fuel at a discount again.

Amnesty International chooses to blame Israel, though.

Israel must immediately lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip, including by allowing the delivery of fuel and other essential supplies into the territory without restrictions, said Amnesty International today.

“This latest harsh setback has exacerbated the assault on the dignity of Palestinians in Gaza and the massive denial of rights they have experienced for more than six years because of Israel’s blockade, together with restrictions imposed by Egypt,” said Philip Luther, Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International.

“The blockade has collectively punished Gaza’s population in violation of international law. The power plant shutdown has further affected all aspects of daily life, and the Israeli authorities must lift the blockade immediately, starting by allowing urgently needed fuel supplies into the Strip and working with all relevant parties to avert a prolonged humanitarian crisis this winter.”

“The reason for the flood of sewage was the blockade,” a resident of al-Zaytoun told Amnesty International. “The question is, why is the blockade being allowed to continue? What is our crime? There is no justification for this situation. We just want to live like any other people in the world.”

I'll put it in large letters so Amnesty can understand:

ISRAEL ALLOWS FUEL INTO GAZA.

HAMAS DOESN'T.

At the very end of the anti-Israel screed, Amnesty decides to do a little CYA:

Continuing disputes between the Hamas de facto administration in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority over payment and taxes are also a factor in the current crisis. Both authorities must co-operate so that the power plant again receives a steady supply of fuel and can resume operations.

This isn't the first time Amnesty chose to ignore facts and blame Israel for Gaza's fuel woes. But this is even worse, as it starkly reveals Amnesty's anti-Israel bias.

My only question is - what exactly is it demanding Israel do to help provide fuel for Gaza? Already Israel agreed to pump free fuel from Qatar via Kerem Shalom, in a story I broke first:

Qatar recently offered to transfer to Hamas large amounts of fuel which it holds in storage tanks in Egypt, but the Palestinian Authority has objected. According to the Paris accords reached with Israel, it is entitled to collect value added tax on goods coming into the territories. Israel has agreed to transport Qatari oil from Israel, after unloading it in Ashdod, but the proposal has met with opposition. Over the last few days, intense negotiations have been held between Qatar, the Hamas government and the Palestinian Authority, in an attempt to resolve the problem and overcome the dire fuel shortage in Gaza.

So what exactly does Amnesty expect of Israel? Free fuel? Should Israel invade Gaza to physically place fuel into the power plant (if Israel is the legal occupier of Gaza, then the answer is probably yes!)

This press release proves one thing: Amnesty's bias against Israel is systemic and embedded. There is no way to spin this absurd, counter-factual press release as anything other than pure antipathy for Israel.

Even worse, it shows that Amnesty's concern over actual human rights of Gazans is dwarfed by its bias against Israel. Downplaying the roles of Hamas and Egypt in the crisis, and instead demanding Israel do something it already does, actually increases Gaza's suffering because it distracts from the reality and the actual steps needed to bring fuel to Gaza.

Amnesty should be embarrassed by such an absurd statement. Decent reporters, NGOs and governments should call Amnesty to task for abandoning its true purpose and instead choosing to use its "human rights "platform to incite against Israel.

Because that is what this is - incitement.

UPDATE: Amnesty returned my phone call for comment.

Will a Qatari ship dock in Ashdod to provide fuel for Gaza?

Palestine Today reports that PA prime minister Rami Hamdallah is currently in Qatar to discuss options for easing the Gaza fuel crisis, since Hamas adamantly refuses to pay market prices for fuel for the citizens it supposedly is protecting.

According to the report, two options are being explored.

One is that Qatar will pay the PA to purchase fuel from Israeli sources and that fuel can be pumped into Gaza as it used to be.

The other is that a Qatari fuel tanker would dock in Ashdod and that fuel would be transferred by Israel to Gaza via Kerem Shalom!

Why would Qatar even consider such a move?

Last year, Qatar sent a fuel tanker to Egypt to provide a huge amount of free fuel for Gaza. Less than half of that fuel was delivered; the remaining fuel is sitting in storage in Egypt. Despite numerous diplomatic attempts by Qatar urging Egypt to deliver the remaining fuel, Egypt refuses.

Israel is now considered a more reliable partner to helping Gaza than Egypt - even by fellow Arabs!

Work accident!

Ma'an reports:

A 22-year-old man died as a result of an accident during a militant operation in Gaza on Thursday, medics and a military group said.

Hamas' military wing al-Qassam Brigades announced the death of one of its members, Foad Muhammad al-Siqli, who medics said arrived to the hospital in critical condition and soon passed away.

His obituary on the Hamas Al Qassam website is typically flowery:

Standing in the face of the Zionist tyrants, and in response to the call of faith and the homeland, the al-Qassam Mujahideen came out every day to be a shield of immunity to their country and their people, carrying the banner of jihad and the victory of the oppressed and the trapped, standing in all fields and to improve their grades with all the determination and stability and will not relent yet trust in Allah's victory, preparing and mobilizing the strength to resist the occupation and fighting a challenge and steadfastness.... During his him among the martyrs, and eternal peace, and that give his family patience and solace...

It is a jihad victory or martyrdom.

May all of Hamas' great mujahadeen become martyrs the same way, and soon.

Red Crescent ambulances participate in Hamas terror parade (update)

Judge Dan at Israellycool noticed that in the videos showing the Hamas celebrations of Pillar of Defense last year, at least two ambulances - and maybe three were taking part in the parade itself.

At 1:46:

At 6:32:

And in this video, at 3:36:

It does not appear that these ambulances were there just in case of sudden illness along the route. From looking through the windows, they seem to be filled with people wearing the same Hamas uniforms that the rest of the terrorists in the parade are wearing.

The Red Crescent, of course, is not allowed to be misused in this way. The Red Cross is upset when it is used in video games or other non-authorized uses, so certainly we should be hearing their complaints about it being used in a terrorist parade very, very soon now.

Right?

UPDATE: The ICRC says these are not Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances. Other interesting points are brought up. See new post.

From AP:

A year after a bruising Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, southern Israel has sprung back to life, and the frequent rocket fire that once plagued the region has nearly stopped. But it's Hamas, not the Israelis who are celebrating.

Maybe because Israelis don't celebrate wars, including those they won, while the Arab honor/shame mentality forces them to celebrate wars that they lost?

By any objective measure Israel won the mini-war in Gaza last year. The point was to stop rocket fire and, for the most part, that goal was met. Gaza terrorists fired over 150 projectiles towards Israel in the last two weeks of October last year - and about 50 in 2013 altogether.

AP had a golden opportunity to explain Arab culture here, and dropped the ball.

Interior Minister Fathi Hamad, who commands Hamas' security forces in Gaza, called on Arabs in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Israel to unite in a holy war to “uproot the Jews” from Israel.

“A third intifada is approaching,” he said, using the term for past Palestinian uprisings against Israel. “Liberation is coming and victory is coming.”

This quote is confirmed by Arab sources.

Apologists for Hamas, from "Students for Justice in Palestine" to Richard Falk to Jimmy Carter, never seem to find a way to condemn its explicit Jew-hatred.

More rockets from Gaza

YNet reports:

Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired two rockets toward south Israel at dawn on Monday. A number of explosions were heard shortly after the "Color Red" siren warning of the incoming rockets sounded in communities located within the Ashkelon Beach Regional Council.

One of the rockets was apparently intercepted by the "Iron Dome" air defense system, while the other apparently landed in an open area. There were no reports of injury or damage.

In response to the rocket fire, Israeli aircraft attacked two rocket launchers in north Gaza and identified direct hits, the army's Spokesperson's Unit said.

The Gaza NSO recorded other incidents recently that did not make the news:

10/27/2013 13:30 27 OCT, 1315: Pal. ops. fired 3 mortar shells from Abasan, E of KY [Khan Younis], toward the Green Line.
10/26/2013 08:00 MU, 26 OCT: Pal. ops. attempted to fire 1 HMR from E of Jabaliya, NG. The rocket exploded prematurely. An IED exploded in the northern area.
10/24/2013 11:00 UPDATE: 24 OCT, 1100: Info received that explosion was a controlled detonation of a grad-type rocket by IF [IDF] c500m from Erez. Crossing operating normally.

Normalization alert: Hamas talks to IDF (on Twitter)

Today on Twitter, Hamas' Al Qassam Brigades terror group responded to a tweet by IDF spokesman Peter Lerner:

Hamas addressed Lerner directly, meaning that Hamas initiated talks with the Zionist enemy!

This sounds like the dreaded "normalization" to me.

(This isn't the first time this has happened, but it is always funny to see people who choose a 7th century mentality trying to use 21st century tools.)

Gaza terrorists start PR campaign for terror tunnels

A couple of days ago, Ma'an had an interesting headline: "Israeli army sends Gazans threatening voice messages."

Was the IDF warning them of an imminent bombing campaign? Did it threaten them with shutting down imports and exports?

No, not quite. The "threatening messages" were nothing of the sort:

Dozens of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip received voice messages on their telephones from the Israeli army telling them not to go near any Hamas sites.

Mohammad Yousef, a resident of Gaza, said that he received a voice message from someone who identified themselves as being a member of the Israeli armed forces, warning him not to go near any Hamas sites.

The voice message said, "Hamas is digging terrorist tunnels instead of working on development and building hospitals and schools to serve the needs of its citizens. You should avoid such acts and report them to ensure your safety."

How do the terror organizations respond? Why, by trying to get Gazans to support tunnels to kidnap Israelis!

Palestine Today has a long feature interview with the mother of one of the terrorists who were killed during the Gilad Shalit kidnapping, and she says how much she longs for more such kidnappings so that terrorists in Israeli prison will be sent home.

Hamas itself admitted that it built the tunnels for kidnapping and Ismail Haniyeh said in his speech Saturday that such operations to free prisoners were a top priority for Hamas.

These competing messages provide an interesting contrast. Israel is assuming that Gazans are normal people who want to live their lives in dignity. Hamas and Islamic Jihad assume that Gazans are bloodthirsty terror supporters. Each is acting accordingly.

Which group is racist in their opinions of Gazans?

Of course, you don't have to be Gazan to automatically support Hamas building tunnels....

Stunning photos of the Hamas terror tunnel, plus video

From Buzzfeed:

Hamas military spokesman in Gaza, Abu Obeida, said on his official Twitter account that “thousands” more tunnels would be dug out.

Ventilation shaft

The IDF estimated over 500 tons of concrete were used to build this.

Israel has now suspended shipping construction materials to Gaza.

You can be sure that "human rights" organizations will be condemning that ban on concrete far more than the Hamas attempt to kidnap Israelis.

Here's video:

(h/t Yoel)

Gaza terror tunnel discovered near Israeli communities

From JPost:

The IDF recently uncovered a Palestinian terrorist tunnel leading from the Gaza Strip to Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, they announced on Sunday.

The tunnel was dug in order to either kidnap civilians and soldiers, or to infiltrate the community and carry out an atrocity in it, the army believes.

The tunnel was over 120 meters in length and represents a grave attempt by Palestinian terrorists to perpetrate an attack, army sources added.

The entrance of the tunnel on the Israeli side was reportedly dug near a kindergarten.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised the IDF for unearthing the tunnel, his spokesman said.

YNet adds:

According to defense establishment estimates, the tunnel was set up in order to execute a large-scale attack on one of the nearby villages. The starting point is located in a village between Gaza Strip's Khan Younis and the border fence. Several spaces were located within the tunnel, which were designed to store and detonate explosives in large quantities. The tunnel also contained tracks with carts and lighting tools. In addition, the tunnel contained advanced technical means to allow its functioning and prevent its collapse.

Here is a satellite map of the area.

Israel recently started allowing iron and concrete to be imported into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossings, after years of NGOs and governments complaining that it is a human rights violation to not allow these sorts of dual-use materials into the Hamas-controlled sector. Up until a few weeks ago, Israel only allowed such materials if they were earmarked for specific projects for known organizations like UN agencies.

From September 29 to October 5, Israel allowed 153 trucks of cement and 77 trucks of iron to enter Gaza.

Reportedly, the tunnel was built with Israeli cement.

You can be certain that none of these organizations or governments will now agree that Israel should be concerned that the material it is allowing is being used for construction of terror tunnels.

These groups and governments who claim to be acting on the basis of the human rights of Gazans rarely extend their concern to the human rights of Israeli kindergartners not to be kidnapped and held hostage.

Hamas terrorists to begin "new media" push

Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas' Al Qassam Brigades, yesterday met with new media activists to explain how important electronic media is to the terror group's strategy.

The conference on new media was organized by Hamas' interior ministry and its national security ministry; the terror arm of Hamas seems to have been invited to speak.

Abu Obeida also said that the Brigades is ready to counter any aggression on Gaza. It is interesting to note that Arab media for the previous day talked about rumors that Egypt was prepared to attack Gaza if need be, so it is possible that this was not just one of Hamas' usual blustery warnings to Israel.

The conference was held at the five star Commodore beachfront hotel in Gaza City.

Five ways Egypt's closure of Rafah hurts Hamas

Pan-Arab paper Al Hayat describes five different ways that Egypt's closure of Rafah, which for some reason is never called a "siege," is significantly hurting Hamas:

1. Loss of tax revenue. Hamas taxed all the goods coming from the tunnels, but the PA taxes the goods that come in from Israel. Hamas was receiving some $12 million in revenues every month from taxing smuggled goods. As a result of the closure, Hamas has cut paychecks and delayed payments to its 40,000 employees in Gaza.

2. Higher prices. Goods that come from Israel are at market prices, while many of those that come from Egypt are subsidized by the Egyptian government. Construction material in particular have doubled in price and Gaza's Federation of Contractors has called to stop all work for its 60,000 members until prices stabilize. Fuel prices as well have gone up to what Israelis are paying.

3. The end of cash being smuggled to Hamas. Banks refuse to transfer money to Gaza out of fear of running afoul of anti-terrorism laws, and Hamas had received a significant part of its cash from people smuggling cash through the tunnels (from Iran and elsewhere.) This has all but ended.

4. Weapons smuggling has gone way down. Hamas as well as Islamic Jihad depended on the smuggling trade from Sinai jihadists and middlemen to get their weapons and ammunition, and Egypt is not going to look the other way any more.

5. Hamas leaders cannot easily travel any more. Only last year Hamas leaders were touring Arab nations, asking for money and acting like heads of state. That seems to have largely ended.

According to the article, Hamas doesn't see any way out of this predicament right now, so it has decided to tolerate it until the political situation changes. But meanwhile Hamas is saying that Fatah no longer wants to talk to them since the hope is that an internal uprising in Gaza is coming soon.

Iran resumes support to Hamas; Hamas says US gave EU green light to talk to it

Palestine Today reports that after a freeze of some months, Iran has resumed supporting Hamas.

The two parties were at odds over Hamas' support of the rebels in Syria.

The rapprochement came after a senior Hamas official visited Tehran recently.

Hamas spokesman Ahmad Yusuf admitted Iranian support - presumably monetary and military - is not at the levels it reached previously.

He stressed that both Iran and Hamas understand each others' positions on Syria but they have a common enemy in Israel.

When asked whether Hamas had contacts with the U.S. administration, Yusuf replied: "There had been both formal and informal communications previously, but those close to U.S. President Barack Obama are wary of these contacts, in case the U.S. administration would get in trouble with Congress or with Israel....[However,] the Americans gave the green light for the Europeans to open talks with us. Europeans are more aggressive in dealing with us."

Another victim of the "playground of death"

I had missed this over the holiday, from the Hamas Al Qassam Brigades website:

Military Communiqué

Al Qassam Brigades mourns the death of Abed Al Kareem Fayyad

As Al Aqsa Intifada against the occupation assault on the Gaza Strip continues, Ezzeddeen Al-Qassam Brigades has its best men to be in the playground of death to defend their people from any attack by the enemy ... Today, Al-Qassam Brigades mourn the death of the mujahed:

Abed Al Kareem Asaad Fayyad (21 years old)

Khanyounis city– Gaza Strip

The mujahid passed away after he was shot accidentally. He was martyred after a long bright path of jihad, hard work, struggle and sacrifice.

Al Qassam Brigades mourn the death of the mujahed, reaffirms the commitment and determination to continue the resistance against the belligerent occupation forces.

May Allah (SWT) accept the mujahed & his blessed efforts for the path of Jihad and may Allah grant his family patience and solace for his lose.

"To God we belong and to him we shall return."