Meshaal: Resistance Won΄t Accept "Israeli" Conditions

Source: Al-Manar TV, 16-01-2009

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal addressed Arab leaders in the Doha meeting Friday and thanked them for supporting the Palestinians and their cause.
Speaking in the absence of Mahmoud Abbas and other Arab leaders, Meshaal seized the opportunity to praise the determination of Gazans and the heroic resistance there.
"I tell Gazans that they are not alone, and they should be proud."

The 22-member Arab League says Doha has failed to secure the quorum of 15 required for a formal Arab Summit, but Qatar has gone ahead with a broad consultative meeting that has attracted Meshaal, the Iranian president and Turkish officials.
13 of the Arab League's 22 members went ahead despite objections of the PA, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Meshaal explained that the "Israeli" aggression was not against Hamas, but against all the Palestinians and the Arab nation. "You, Arab leaders, can rely on the resistance," he said.
The Hamas leader said that settlements have brought Palestine, throughout history, nothing by more killing of Palestinians, building settlements, building separation walls and devastation to the Palestinian people.

"We had announced that we were committed to the truce six months earlier, despite our lack of confidence in ‘Israel's' intentions. We only called for ending the siege."
Meshaal stressed nobody asked Hamas and the Palestinian resistance in Gaza to renew the truce in exchange for lifting the blockade of the Strip.

"No one asked us to renew the truce in exchange to lifting the siege. So where did we go wrong? The truce ended and the blockade continued and this constitutes a declaration of war against us.
I've heard some Arab leaders saying that Gaza is still under occupation. Well, in either case, by all means and international laws there must be a resistance to fight the occupation," he said.
The Hamas leader called for the opening of all crossings, Rafah in particular. "The Rafah crossing is between Gaza and Egypt, so Arabs must put pressure on Egypt to open it. ‘Israel' has nothing to do with it.

We have suggested a solution to reopen the crossing by a monitoring team representing the government of Gaza, the PA, Egypt and the Europeans. They rejected it. Arabs can push this issue forward. ‘Israel' should not go back to Rafah."

On the ongoing war on Gaza, Meshaal said that the "Israeli" occupation army has failed in its ground offensive. "For that reason, it was committing crimes and attacking children, women and even UNRWA headquarters, when the whole world remained silent."
He called for holding "Israel" accountable for its crimes and supporting the resistance till the end of the occupation.

"Resistance groups have achieved victory in Lebanon and Palestine.
The resistance was the one which expelled Sharon from Gaza and Barak from Lebanon. Then, why attack the resistance and try to undermine it instead of supporting it?"
Meshaal stressed the resistance will not accept "Israeli" conditions for a ceasefire in Gaza, in the framework of an Egyptian proposal.

"Our demands are: That the aggression stops, that the enemy retreats completely from Gaza, that the blockade is lifted without ever permanently, and that the border crossing at Rafah is opened," the Hamas leader said.
He added that the US administration "can no longer impose its conditions on us," and called on Arab nations to seize the moment and stop the process of normalizing ties with the Zionist entity.

Meshaal also called for Arab auspices to enhance the Palestinian reconciliation. "We call for an Arab unity to ensure the Palestinian people's rights, so as to eliminate the chances of surrender," he said.
The Hamas leader underlined the resistance movement does not want to wage an open war, but it was on the defensive against an "Israeli" aggression.