Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Salem Exiled Hamas leader in first visit to Strip tells supporters that the organization will “never recognize the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation,” promises to free Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
GAZA – Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, making his first ever visit to the Gaza Strip, vowed on Saturday never to recognize Israel and said his Islamist group would never abandon its claim to all Israeli territory.
“Palestine is ours from the river to the sea and from the south to the north. There will be no concession on an inch of the land,” he told a sea of supporters at an open-air rally marking the 25th anniversary of the founding of Hamas and a celebration of the organization’s “victory” over Israel.
“We will never recognize the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation and therefore there is no legitimacy for Israel, no matter how long it will take.”
In an uncompromising speech, Mashaal also vowed to free Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, indicating Islamist militants would try to kidnap Israeli soldiers to use as a bargaining chip.
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Hamas is today marking its 25th anniversary, with the Iran-backed terror group holding rallies throughout the Gaza Strip. Framed by props of advanced weapons in the background, speakers are hailing the group’s terror activities and emphasizing its genocidal commitment to the eradication of Israel. The events come months after Hamas launched a round of escalatory rocket fire into Israel, and less than a month after Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense compelled it to cease that rocket fire. Hamas spokesman Ashraf Zayed unpacked the anticipated celebrations, which are being promoted on Hamas’s social media channels with a new logo highlighting the destruction of the entirety of the Jewish state of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian state.
The political implications and momentum generated by the events will be tangled. Hamas’s declarations of intransigence may generate popularity that provides the group with leverage to coerce other Palestinian groups into reconciliation. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar has already called on Hamas’s rival Fatah to join forces and “carry the gun.” Hamas may also use the opportunity to try to consolidate its power over smaller groups, and yesterday Friday marked the arrival of Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal, who entered the Gaza Strip for the first time in 45 years.
Alternatively, Hamas’s continued emphasis on its genocidal commitment to destroy Israel is likely to complicate the efforts in some Western capitals, and the exhortations of some Western foreign policy analysts, to engage the Palestinian group and grant it a measure of diplomatic legitimacy. Hamas’s military also continues to face significant obstacles. Operation Pillar of Defense substantially degraded the group’s advanced weaponry and its command and control infrastructure. Rebuilding will take time, and this weekend’s boasts will be juxtaposed against visible losses suffered by the group.
Below are selections from a TIP photo gallery documenting the militarism surrounding Hamas’s 25th anniversary activities, which celebrate terrorist rocket fire against Israeli civilians and extend into encouraging children to battle Israel. Click on the photos to go to larger versions, or on the link at the bottom to see the full gallery.
 Hamas’s 25th anniversary celebration will proudly showcase the arsenal that the group uses to terrorize Israeli civilians |
 Images from the eve of Hamas’s 25th anniversary celebration |
 Images from the eve of Hamas’s 25th anniversary celebration |
 Images from the eve of Hamas’s 25th anniversary celebration |
