Masri to Israeli settlers: Olmert, Barak put your lives at risk

The prominent Hamas political leader in Gaza Strip Mushir Al-Masri said on Thursday that all options will be open before the Palestinian resistance if the IOF atrocities against the Palestinian people persisted.

In a press statement he issued in Gaza city, Masri asserted that the IOF military escalation against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank would put the lives of tens of thousands of Israeli settlers at risk.

In a warning message to the Israeli settlers, Masri said that Israeli premier Ehud Olmert and war minister Ehud Barak were “gambling” with settlers” lives for their (Olmert and Barak) “personal political interest”.

He also added that facts on the ground, including the persisting IOF aggressions on the Gaza Strip and the arrest campaigns against Hamas”s supporters in the West Bank among other repressive Israeli measures prove that “The Zionist party isn”t interested in reaching reciprocal, comprehensive, and simultaneous Tahdea (calm) with the Palestinians, and that it wants only a free calm in the field, which is rejected by the Palestinian resistance factions”.

In this concern, Masri called on the Israeli settlers to “exploit” the chance of the regional and international efforts to reach a comprehensive and reciprocal truce with the Palestinians, urging them not be deceived by Olmert and Barak”s “dreams”.

Furthermore, the Hamas leader, who is also a lawmaker, indicated that the IOF troops were carrying out a war of attrition against fighters of the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas; however, he asserted that the Palestinian struggle against occupation is a struggle of “wills”, and that the “Israeli enemy” had failed in weakening the QB despite the “vicious Israeli holocaust” in Gaza Strip last month.

“We are of full conviction that the blood of the QB fighters would serve as fuel to continue the struggle against the Israeli occupation”, Masri underscored.

A brotherly call:
Meanwhile, Masri called on Egypt to positively deal with the Palestinian file, urging the Egyptian government to take brave decision in breaking the unjust economic siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and to open the vital Rafah border crossing.

In this regard, Masri affirmed that “Egypt is the southern gate of Palestine, and we hope that Egypt will be responsible enough, and will remain as a supporter of the Palestinian people by adopting a brave and responsible decision with full Arab support in rescinding the Israeli economic blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip”. 

“We deal with Egypt in a very positive way, and we accept it to be the main player in the hot issues between Hamas and the Zionist enemy, and we are very much concerned with that Egyptian role; and we hope that Egypt would take positive steps in alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people”, Masri affirmed.