Al-Qassam Brigades Spokesman: IOF Broke Ceasefire, Can’t Storm Gaza

Al-Qassam missiles are fired again at Israeli cities after a unilateral fragile ceasefire was repeatedly broken by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). Izzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas military wing , is back to the limelight.
 
The Israeli response to Al-Qassam Brigades’s ending the useless ceasefire was threatening with invading Gaza .
 
What made Al-Qassam Brigades end the ceasefire; are they ready to rebel the IOF threats?; are there any disagreement between the Brigades and the political bureau?
 
The following is an interview that covers  these questions and others with Abu Obaida the media spokesman of Al-Qassam Brigades .
 
 
Ikhwanweb: Why have you ended the ceasefire with the occupation forces?; is there a consensus with politburo of the movement over this decision?
 
Abu Obaida: First of all, it isn’t right to say that Al-Qassam Brigades took a decision of ending the ceasefire; it is as if we are the ones who violated this ceasefire for no reason; the IOF are the ones who ended and violated the ceasefire from the very beginning; we were adhering to it and bear the violations to give more chances to not only the Israeli occupation but also to the Palestinian Authority and government to give them suitable conditions for arranging the Palestinian domestic affairs; this does not mean that we remain helpless in front of the Zionist crimes; what we did was only sending a warning message to the IOF through missile fires on Tuesday morning April, 24, April; if the IOF did not stop their crimes, the response will be very much bigger and harmful; as for the second part of the question, of course we do not take our decisions haphazardly; we take decision after agreement and consultation in all levels of the organization.
 
Ikhwanweb: Don’t you think that this decision poses an obstacle against efforts of the Palestinian government to end the blockade imposed on the Palestinian people and you are actually putting the government in front of a real dilemma?
 
Abu Obaida: Definitely no, there was a long ceasefire, but the blockade on the Palestinian people wasn’t lifted; our battle with the occupation is much bigger than lifting a blockade; it is rather battle of existence on this land; our resistance against the occupation was carried out before the Palestinian Authority and after it; defending our people’s interests is one of our holiest duties.
 
Ikhwanweb: How much are the Brigades ready to face any potential invasion of Gaza; is there any coordination with other resistance?
 
Abu Obaida: We are ready to defend any part of the strip with all possible means, despite the few available capabilities and the blockade; we will support our people and defend them and fight till the last drop of blood from the last soldier from among us; the IOF will never enter Gaza Strip as long as we are defending it; we are preparing ourselves and cooperate with the resistant military wings according to specific arrangements.
 
Ikhwanweb: Some accuse you of exploiting the resistance and military operations to serve some political targets of Hamas movement, not according to a full resistance program, citing the long halt of resistance after Hamas assumed power?
 
Abu Obaida: This is not right; these are merely groundless allegations; we have a clear and public program which is the source of our success and strength; this is because it is in line with the aspirations and will of our resisting people; as for the 6 month halt following the elections, it was a halt that preceded the storm of Operation Diffused Illusion in June 2006; this operation was one of the most successful operations carried out by the resistance in the Palestinian history, as it claimed a number of deaths, injured and a captured IOF’s soldier, Gilad Shalit; we are now demanding releasing prisoners who had no hope to enjoy freedom; Al-Qassam Brigades didn’t stop; halting missile fires was based on a well-studied agreement in Gaza Strip. We didn’t lose during the ceasefire, we benefit so much during ceasefires in terms of preparations and gaining strength; the last ceasefire conditions were based on the circumstances imposed by the occupation’s invasion to north Gaza Strip; we forced it to withdraw in the timing that we defined and under our missile fires on Ashkelon and Sderot.
 
Ikhwanweb: Some media reported some disagreements between Al-Qassam Brigades and the political bureau specially recently; how far are these disagreements true?
 
Abu Obaida: These media reports are either wishes of jealous persons or interpretations of foolish persons; we heard such allegations in the past; they are groundless and are unheard of among members of Hamas movement and Al-Qassam Brigades; we are an integrated movement and a firm organization that can be rarely found all over the world; the command of Al-Qassam Brigades is part of Hamas movement leadership; there is no disagreement over big political issues and key strategies; this is because we participate in the taking decisions inside the movement according to a well-knit consultative system.
 
Ikhwanweb: Is there a presence for Al-Qaeda network in Palestine; what is your attitude towards the ideology of Al-Qaeda network?
 
Abu Obaida: We do not believe that there is any ground for Al-Qaeda network in Palestine; there may be some of those adopting Al-Qaeda ideas; but we have no proof on the ground to prove that Al-Qaeda organization is in Palestine; we in Palestine do not need and do not want Al-Qaeda organization or others; because if the target is jihad and resistance against the occupation, these are already present decades ago.
 
Ikhwanweb: Assess the security mess incidents that have taken place recently; specially that some reports point fingers of accusation against you, blaming you of causing this sedition?
 
Abu Obaida: The security chaos has erupted since the Palestinian Authority was founded, especially after expanding the useless idle security services; the reason for this deterioration is the differing loyalties inside the Palestinian Authority and even inside the security services; the biggest proof on this is that elements of these services are involved in most cases of deterioration; as for the last period, the ones involved in this mess are suspicious persons inside Fatah Movement; these persons are moved by the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to apply a notorious scheme to topple the new Palestinian government and undermine the democracy which was against whims of villains; it is foolish to say that we are the ones who cause this sedition, because it is logical that the ones who reach power in a honorable and democratic method seek stability while the rivals who are out of office are the ones more concerned with eradicating this stability, specially when these rivals are suspected of treason.
 
Ikhwanweb: What about the news of negotiations regarding captured soldier Gilad Shalit; how is his health?
 
Abu Obaida: There is nothing new in this file except more Zionist inflexibility, and our sticking to our conditions of releasing children, women and patients leaders of factions and those sentenced to long periods of jail; as for his health, we would rather ask the enemy about how our prisoners and heroes in the occupation prisons are doing.
 
Ikhwanweb: How do you see the future of the resistance under the current regional and international conditions?
 
Abu Obaida: The future will be for the resistance and for our resisting people and freemen of our great Islamic Nation, because the battle between us and the occupation is from over; all indications show a huge retreat in the Zionist ideology, mentality and reality, while we are in a continuous progress and continuous integration; all regional and international circumstances will succumb to the will of people who suffer from under terrorist and racial occupation; our resistance to the enemy will continue as long as the occupation is still on the ground; all agreements are just temporary tranquilizers which are always smashed by the unfair enemy that only understands the language of force; in another level, America and its allies are always deteriorating due to their complete failure in Iraq and Afghanistan, giving an eventual win to the will of resisting peoples.