Condy Rice Blames Palestinian Victims, No Blame for Israelis Despite Killing 120 Palestinians, Injuring 300 in Ongoing Air Raids Using US F-16s

Hamas: Rice statement facilitates the ongoing war against the resistance movement

Tuesday March 04, 2008 15:37 by IMEMC Staff - IMEMC News

The Hamas movement on Tuesday considered the statement of Condoleezza Rice the U.S Secretary of State, as part of the ongoing war on the movement and the Palestinian resistance.

Sami Abu Zuhri, the Hamas movement spokesperson, said that Rice's statement which accused Hamas of escalating the violence is part of Rice's aims to give the green light for the ongoing war on the Hamas movement and the Palestinian resistance.

Abu Zuhri added that the comments were made by Rice to sway world opinion and to cover up Bush's crimes, because Abu Zuhri said that Bush gave his blessing for the attacks on Gaza during his visit to the region on January. The Hamas official asked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas not to listen to Rice about resuming talks with Israel. Halting talks with Israel is a natural and much needed response to the Israeli attacks on Gaza Abu Zuhri added.

The Palestinian-Israeli peace talks have been advancing very slowly, without concrete results, since they were first revived by the US-sponsored peace summit of Annapolis in November 2007.

Fouzi Barhum, a Hamas official in Gaza said that Rice is not welcomed, he said that her visit will only bring bad outcomes for the Palestinian nation. Barhum added that Rice's visit comes to support the Israeli occupation and to cover up the Israeli crimes in Gaza.

Rice started her visit to the region today by meeting Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and followed with talks with the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Rice told reporters in Cairo "There has to be an active peace process that can withstand the efforts of those who reject it, the people who are firing home made shells do not want peace," she added "They sow instability, that is what Hamas is doing."

The Israeli attacks on Gaza, which escalated on Wednesday and continued through Monday morning, left 120 Palestinians dead and over 300 injured. Of those killed during the five day long offensive, at least 95 were civilians.

Rice is expected to hold separate talks with the Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later on Tuesday.

Translated by: Ghassan Bannoura – IMEMC News

Rice arrives to Egypt and accuses Hamas of weakening the peace process

Tuesday March 04, 2008 14:26 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Condoleezza Rice, the U.S Secretary of State, arrived at Egypt's capital Cairo, on first stop during her visit to Middle East.

Rice is expected to arrive in Israeli on Tuesday afternoon. Rice's visit to the region comes inan attempt to revive peace talks. In Cairo Rice meet with the Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, then had talks with the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The Secretary of State told reporters that the Hamas movement, is trying to destroy the peace talks. The Palestinian-Israeli peace talks have been advancing very slowly, without concrete results, since they were first revived by the US-sponsored peace summit of Annapolis in November 2007.

On Sunday the Palestinian president suspended talks with Israeli until it halts its attacks. The Israeli army pulled its ground troops out from Gaza on Monday, but air raids still continue.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehod Olmert said, that although he will pursue postponed negotiations with the Palestinian President Abbas, the Israeli military would attack the Gaza Strip to, allegedly stop home made shells being fired from Gaza into Israeli towns.

The Israeli attacks on Gaza, which escalated on Wednesday and continued through Monday morning, left 120 Palestinians dead and over 300 injured. Of those killed during the five –day offensive, at least 95 were civilians.

Rice told reporters in Cairo "There has to be an active peace process that can withstand the efforts of those who reject it, the people who are firing home made shells do not want peace," she added "They sow instability, that is what Hamas is doing."

Hamas took total control of the Gaza strip on June 2007 after several months of infighting with their rival president Abbas' Fatah party.

Amidst the escalating Israeli attacks, and Palestinian dissatisfaction from the peace talks Rice faces a very difficult uphill struggle in order to resume the stalled peace talks, launched last November.

The current American administration is keen to achieve Palestinian Israeli peace deal before it ends term in January 2009.

Barhoum: Rice's visit to the region ominous

[ 04/03/2008 - 10:52 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Hamas Movement on Tuesday said that the visit of American secretary of state Condoleezza Rice to the region was "ominous" and fell in line with American pressures on Arab parties so as not to respond to Gaza's calls for support.

Barhoum in a statement on Tuesday said that Rice's visit also aims at providing more support for Israeli occupation's massacres and siege on Gaza in addition to covering up for its crimes.

He stressed that her visit is unwelcome and added, "We do not have high hopes on the visit and we consider the American administration an accomplice in the occupation's crimes against our people and specifically in the latest massacres in the Gaza Strip".

The spokesman asked the Arab and Islamic masses to continue in their solidarity campaigns with the Palestinian people and to pressure their governments to end their "dreadful silence" and to adopt courageous steps in boycotting and exposing occupation.

The PA chief, Mahmoud Abbas, must reject all American pressures and adopt a stronger and firmer stand severing all negotiations with occupation, Barhoum said, adding that Abbas should also immediately halt all forms of security coordination with occupation and release all political prisoners from his jails.

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