Muhammad A-‘Deif, a top military commander of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, rejected calls to disarm the group on Saturday, saying that armed resistance had forced the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
A-‘Deif, the commander of Hamas’ military wing, the ‘Azz A-Din Al-Qassam brigades, has been underground since 1992 and has escaped several attempts on his life. He is responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide attacks he planned and launched. A-‘Deif called on the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) to maintain its political action and preserve the arms of the resistance group.
“The Palestinian armed resistance will continue until the Al-Aq’sa mosque in Jerusalem will be liberated,” said A-‘Deif in a video cassette he produced. He added that “attacks will continue against Israel until it is wiped off the face of the earth.”
“You conquered our land, and today you leave it in humiliation,” said A-‘Deif, and concluded, “today you are leaving hell, but we promise you that tomorrow, with the help of God, the whole of Palestine will turn to hell for you.”