Hamas Official Ahmed Yousuf says Gaza will explode if international community does not intervene the Israeli siege

Ahmed Yousuf: Gaza will explode if international community does not intervene siege

Date: 20 / 02 / 2008 Time: 20:46

Gaza - Ma'an -

The political advisor of the Foreign Ministry of the de facto government in Gaza, Dr. Ahmad Yusuf, warned on Wednesday that the situation will explode with surprising consequences if the international community does not make serious efforts to end the siege on Gaza and allow Hamas into the international community.

Dr. Yusuf pointed out in a press release sent to Ma'an that Gaza is seen by some as a time bomb waiting to explode as he warned everyone not "to count on Gaza's patience."

"Hamas talked about a truce more than once, but Israel wants to have a free hand to continue its killings, assassinations and incursions. This policy requires a response from the resistance by all necessary means. It is our right as long as there is an illegal occupation in our land," he said.

"Our vision for a truce is holistic and timely. It requires an end to the siege, and for crossings to open to all Palestinians arriving or leaving the Strip, for goods to flow freely into and out of Gaza and for our people to feel free and safe on their land," he added.

Dr. Yusuf confirmed that neither Hamas nor the de facto government in Gaza are thinking about separating the Gaza Strip from the motherland.

"We have declared on many occasions that there will be no state in the Gaza Strip, and that there will be no state without the Gaza Strip. The Strip, as per facts on the ground and according to international laws, is still under a military occupation that controls our air and sea and surrounds our border crossings with tanks," he said.

Yusuf stressed that Gazans did not mean to insult Egypt when they crossed its borders or to disrespect the special historic relations with Egypt. He added that this action was meant to send a message to the occupation and the international community that the policies of applying pressure and imposing hunger will not break the will of the Palestinians, and that "our Arabic and Islamic depth is a strategic reserve for our cause. This reserve can be mobilized when needed to help our Palestinian people and to provide support to its national rights and defend it against injustice."

He also pointed out that many observers in the Palestinian street have seen that Hamas managed to open a hole in the wall of this siege and succeeded in reopening the issue of the Rafah crossing. Hamas plans to add amendments to the understanding on the crossing that will make Hamas party to any future negotiations about the agreement.

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