Haniyah ignores Israeli death threats, goes about 'daily life as usual'

Date: 12 / 02 / 2008 Time: 12:13
Gaza – Ma'an Exclusive –

The Hamas-run de facto government in the Gaza Strip says that Prime Minister Isma'il Haniyah will ignore Israeli assassination threats and will go about is daily life as normal.

A Hamas government spokesperson said standard security measures would be in place to protect Haniyah's life. However, Reports that Haniyah had gone into hiding, spokesperson Tahir Al-Nunu said, are no more than "distasteful Israeli jokes."

"That was incorrect. He did not go into hiding, neither did he run away. Haniyah did not panic, and he practices his daily life as usual," Al-Nunu added.

Asked about reports that Haniyah moved to a new house, Al-Nunu said only that Hamas has taken security precautions, but not to the degree of sending its leaders into hiding.

Hamas spokesperson Isma'il Radwan also commented on the Israeli news. He said, smilingly, "Here we are answering calls on cell phones; we have not disappeared."

He said, "We will not disappear, and resistance will continue as the occupation leaders should realize that Hamas leaders believe that it is only God who decides when we die, and after all we are willing to die as martyrs."

"The intensive security measures are meant to avoid the occupation government plots to hit Hamas leaders, and if they do so, a volcano will erupt in their faces," Radwan added.

He said that the 2004 assassination of Hamas founder Shaikh Ahmed Yassin did not cause Hamas to collapse.

Hamas downplays Israeli threats against the group, follows security precautions

Tuesday February 12, 2008 12:15 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies rami at imemc dot org
The ruling Hamas movement in Gaza considered yesterday the latest Israeli threats against its ranks 'serious', yet it said such threats wont deter the movement from keeping up.

Mosheer Al-Masri, a Hamas lawmaker and influential Hamas leader, stated Monday " the threats wont deter Hamas from keeping up in the path of resistance".

He pointed out the Israeli media terminology in reference to the Hamas's reaction to the threats as ' failed attempts to defuse momentum of the movement's steadfastness'.

Israeli media reports said yesterday that the Hamas's leadership has begun hiding out in fear of the Israeli military warnings to target top Hamas leaders, including prime minister, Ismail Haniya.

In response to these reports, Taher Al-Nunu, spokesman of the Hamas government confirmed that prime minister Haniya, is undertaking everyday activities normally with some precautions.

" its untrue, no one has hidden or fled as Haniya is not terrorized, therefore, he practices his life as usual", Al-Nunu was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Ismail Radwan, a Hamas leader in Gaza, ran a mock of the Israeli threats " we are here , answering mobile phones' calls, and did not hide".

" we wont hide, or stop resistance as Hamas's leaders have a faith that death is a matter of God's willingness and we leaders of Hamas are born to be martyrs".

Radwan affirmed that Hamas will turn Israeli threats, once implemented, into 'a volcano of wrath in the face of Israelis'.

Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, warned yesterday of undermining the ruling Hamas totally as other ministers hinted at the possibility of targeting Hamas leaders, in an attempt to end the rule of the Islamist movement once and for all.

In the meantime, the West Bank-based Palestinian government of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, warned of likely consequences of an imminent Israeli attack on Gaza, on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

In June of last year, the democratically-elected Hamas took over the coastal region amidst a power struggle with Fatah party of President Abbas. Right after the takeover, Israel placed Gaza under a strict closure and began a series of punitive measures, including fuel and power supplies cuts.

Israel has been claiming that its actions on Gaza are meant to stop homemade shells fire, launched, for the past five years, by Hamas and other resistance groups from the coastal Strip onto nearby Israeli towns.

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