Hamas vows not to recognize Israel
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Xinhua, December 15, 2011
Hundreds of thousands of Hamas members and supporters attended a celebration Wednesday for the 24th anniversary of the Islamic movement's establishment, during which the Hamas leaders vowed not to recognize the state of Israel or stop "the armed resistance" until the "liberation of Palestine."
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Ismail Haneya, senior Hamas leader, waves to supporters during a celebration to mark the 24th anniversary of the Hamas movement's foundation in Gaza City on Dec. 14, 2011. [Xinhua] |
At the rally held at al-Katiba Yard in western Gaza City, Hamas supporters, activists and senior leaders waved the Palestinian flags and the movement's green flags, chanting slogans like "we will never recognize Israel."
Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip by force in June 2007 and has been ruling the enclave since then, started two days ago to prepare the rally, which some Hamas leaders said was the biggest-ever celebration since the movement was founded in December 1987.
On the podium put up at the yard, a huge picture of al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and a green map of Palestine with slogan that "Jerusalem we are coming" were hanged on the wall. A music band consisting of Palestinian refugees from Lebanon put on performance at the rally.
Ismail Haneya, premier of the de facto Hamas government that ruled the Gaza Strip, attended the rally with other senior Hamas leaders and gave a speech to the crowd.
"Hamas was born with the beginning of the first intifada, lived with the second intifada, and will lead together with the Palestinian people and their Islamic and national factions all the coming intifadas until the liberation of Palestine, all Palestine, " said Haneya.
Haneya ended his speech by saying that Hamas would not make any concession over any inch of the Palestinian land, pledging to continue the armed resistance and work seriously on achieving the Palestinian unity.
