SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Hamas chief says 'no to displacement' in Gaza
Doha, Oct 14 (AFP) Oct 14, 2023
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh urged Palestinians Saturday to reject "displacement" within the Gaza Strip or out of the blockaded enclave to Egypt, following Israeli air strikes and calls to evacuate.

In a televised speech, the Qatar-based leader called the massive assault that targeted Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7 a "strategic strike" that would aid "our liberation".

More than 1,300 people have been killed in Israel since Hamas militants stormed the country's south, killing both civilians and security forces and taking at least 120 captives, according to Israeli officials.

Israel has pummelled Gaza with air strikes and artillery fire which have claimed at least 2,215 lives in the blockaded Palestinian enclave over the past week, according to Hamas officials.

The Israeli army has called on Gazans in the north of the enclave to head south to avoid the strikes.

"No to displacement from the (West) Bank, not from Gaza and no to displacement from Gaza to Egypt," Haniyeh said in his speech.

"Our decision is to remain on our land."

"We want this occupation to leave our land," Haniyeh said, "for us to have a state with Jerusalem as its capital... and for our Palestinian people to return".

Earlier Saturday, Haniyeh accused Israel of committing war crimes and preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.

"Israeli atrocities amount to war crimes," he said in a letter addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that was posted on the Palestinian group's website.

Haniyeh also condemned the "barbaric Israeli siege imposed" on the Palestinian territory, charging that "the Israeli occupation is banning entry of humanitarian aid and medical supplies to the Gaza Strip".

He urged Guterres to pressure Israel into letting humanitarian aid enter into Gaza.

Israel has imposed a "complete siege" on the enclave following the October 7 assault, halting electricity, water and fuel supplies.

It says supplies will not be resumed until Hamas releases all of the captives its gunmen seized during the cross-border attack.

Around 2.4 million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip, which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade since Hamas seized power in the coastal enclave in 2007.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Trump-Musk showdown threatens US space plans
Japanese company aborts Moon mission after assumed crash-landing
In row with Trump, Musk says will end critical US spaceship program

24/7 Energy News Coverage
US seeks deals for Alaska energy as Asia representatives visit
Czechs sign nuclear deal with S.Korea firm KHNP: PM
US-China at trade impasse as Trump's steel tariff hike strains ties

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Ukraine war 'existential', Russia says, launching revenge strikes
'Aces up the sleeve': Ukraine drone attacks in Russia shake up conflict
Trump says Iran 'slowwalking' as Khamenei opposes nuclear proposal

24/7 News Coverage
China lead mine plan weighs heavily on Myanmar tribe
Pledge to protect oceans falling billions short; as EU eyes 'leadership' role
Aid finally trickles in for Nigeria flood victims



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.