Exclusive BBC Interview with Hamas Leader

**Panda** Fri 25 Jul - 9:43

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28472311

Guest Fri 25 Jul - 9:56

I took the liberty of copy-pasting the above interview -

BBC exclusive interview with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal

24 July 2014 Last updated at 19:46 BST

The leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, has said the group wants a truce as soon as possible, but with a genuine guarantee to lift the eight-year long siege.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC's HARDtalk programme, Mr Meshaal said that Palestinians in Gaza wanted to live without the Israeli and Egyptian blockade and open up to the world.

He said the people of Gaza were "being punished with a slow death in the world's biggest prison".

He said: "We are eager that the bloodshed should end in Gaza".

Two questions.

1. If this is about blockades, why are they only shelling Israel and not Egypt, who control the Rafah crossing?
2. Do they seriously believe that any blockade can ever be lifted when they use cement and supplies, given to them to build schools and kindergartens, for this instead?

Exclusive BBC Interview with Hamas Leader 10340135_10152317624198717_3999302672734067131_n

Exclusive BBC Interview with Hamas Leader 10340135_10152317624198717_3999302672734067131_n

The Jewish Standard wrote:"From the 48 Hamas prisoners that have been captured, the intelligence have been interrogating them and the most terrifying, and horrific picture is being built.

"They are being investigated about the many tunnels that have been found and dug under many kibbutzim that surround Gaza. The most terrifying detail is being uncovered that Hamas had a plan to attack all the settlements and kibbutzim in the area this year on Rosh Hashanah with an invasion of over 200 terrorists into almost all the settlements in the area. The tunnels went under the kibbutzim under the kindergartens and dining rooms and other areas within the kibbutz perimeters. They planned to occupy the whole area and kill as many Israeli as possible.

"This could have been the worst terror attack in the history of terrorism. Thousands of people, including women and children would have been slaughtered in this planned attack.

"I think now we start to understand how dangerous these tunnels really are. They all have to be destroyed and we cannot leave even one undetected or unattended to. These tunnels are more dangerous than any rocket or any other weapon."

Full roundup of intelligence on the Hamas tunnels and planned mega-attacks here: http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2014/07/what-hamas-planned-to-do-with-terror.html

**Panda** Fri 25 Jul - 17:29

Iris, this has more to do with the indiscriminate shelling by Israeli tanks. With all the modern equipment , how come the Hospital, School and beaches have been targetted by the Tanks and the wanton deaths of so many children?. Even Israelis are beginning to question the methods used.

The latest news is that Hamas will not agree to a cease fire until there is agreement on opening the Border so that Palestine can trade again , it doesn't look as if anything is going to happen soon.

Guest Fri 25 Jul - 19:03

Hamas will never agree to any cease fire on any terms, not now, not ever. If all of the borders were opened tomorrow, there would be some other excuse, and Israel would simply cease to exist. The sooner the rest of the world realise this, the better for all concerned.

**AnnaEsse** Fri 25 Jul - 19:45

Panda wrote:Iris, this has more to do with the indiscriminate shelling by Israeli tanks. With all the modern equipment , how come the Hospital, School and beaches have been targetted by the Tanks and the wanton deaths of so many children?. Even Israelis are beginning to question the methods used.

The latest news is that Hamas will not agree to a cease fire until there is agreement on opening the Border so that Palestine can trade again , it doesn't look as if anything is going to happen soon.

The trouble with open borders, Panda, is that there is no way of knowing who is crossing to find work/go to work/visit relatives etc and who is likely to blow up a bus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haifa_bus_37_suicide_bombing

The Haifa bus 37 suicide bombing was a suicide bombing carried out on March 5, 2003 on an Egged bus in Haifa, Israel. Seventeen passengers were killed in the attack and 53 were injured.[1]Many of the victims were students from Haifa University. [2]

The Palestinian Islamist militant organization Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. The suicide bomber was 20-year-old Mahmoud Umdan Salim Qawasmeh, a student at the Palestine Polytechnic University. An Israeli Arab resident of Haifa who helped plan the attack was also tried and sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement.[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaar_HaNegev_school_bus_attack

Shaar HaNegev school bus attack

The Shaar HaNegev school bus attack was a missile attack on April 7, 2011, in which Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip fired a Kornet laser-guided anti-tank missile over the border at an Israeli school bus, killing a schoolboy.[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_suicide_attacks

List of Palestinian suicide attacks

I would not believe that the above would stop completely with open borders.

**Panda** Sat 26 Jul - 6:06

AnnaEsse, I don't profess to know the ins and outs of this conflict but it looks as if Balfour and the British Government made a big mistake in the way they divided Palestine and this will never be resolved . Hamas is the only support the Palestinians in Gaza have , i's a crazy set-up of that strip of land and there can never be peace until Borders are opened again and maybe UN troops man it.

**AnnaEsse** Sat 26 Jul - 14:23

Panda wrote:AnnaEsse, I don't profess to know the ins and outs of this conflict but it looks as if Balfour and the British Government made a big mistake in the way they divided Palestine and this will never be resolved . Hamas is the only support the Palestinians in Gaza have , i's a crazy set-up of that strip of land and there can never be peace until Borders are opened again and maybe UN troops man it.

Panda, listening to the repeat of the BBC's "Any Questions," on Radio 4 today, someone asked the very good question, "Why does Hamas insist on firing rockets into Israel?" (This was one of the panel) He also said that any relaxation of the borders would be difficult for Israel to accept because when there has been relaxation in the past, there has been an increase in suicide bombings. Hamas is the elected government of Gaza but, as the man on "Any Questions," said, Gaza has a great deal of funding from other countries.

Guest Sat 26 Jul - 15:30

Palestine certainly needs freeing. From Hamas.

And even though they voted to elect a bunch of terrorists as a Government, I still feel sorry for them. Fatah stole all their money and resources, they terrorised their own citizens, the corruption was astonishing, Fatah leaders were parading around in Gaza City in a gold plated Rolls Royce FFS! Then Hamas came along and promised the ordinary Gazans schools, hospitals and homes. These people have been sold out in the most despicable way possible, and that has nothing to do with Israel. Gaza is the most bankrolled strip of land on the surface of this planet, but it's a hell hole. Did you know that there is a five star hotel in Gaza City, with a French Chef, and imported truffles. Only women are not even allowed in the swimming pool. Gaza could have been another Dubai by now, but their leaders would rather use it to destroy every Jew on the planet, not only in Israel.

**Panda** Tue 29 Jul - 21:25

http://news.sky.com/story/1309523/no-peace-with-israeli-pms-short-term-tactics

Guest Tue 29 Jul - 21:34

Panda wrote:http://news.sky.com/story/1309523/no-peace-with-israeli-pms-short-term-tactics

That article is the puff piece of a bigotted idiot and every single comment - every one - makes that clear.

**AnnaEsse** Tue 29 Jul - 21:42

Iris wrote:
Panda wrote:http://news.sky.com/story/1309523/no-peace-with-israeli-pms-short-term-tactics

That article is the puff piece of a bigotted idiot and every single comment - every one - makes that clear.

Those comments are brilliant, Iris, from people who are much more well informed than the author.

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