Alleged Hamas Bombmaker Resurfaces

[David]

AP


Hamas on Saturday released a videotape of the man it says is a shadowy senior commander who has eluded Israeli forces for more than a decade, the Islamic militant group's latest salvo in a Palestinian power struggle over who should get credit for Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

The man, identifying himself as fugitive bombmaker Mohammed Deif, described Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as a victory for armed resistance, rejected calls for his group to disarm, and vowed to continue attacks on Israel until the Jewish state is erased from the map.

"You are leaving Gaza today in shame," he said in comments directed toward Israel. "Today you are leaving hell. But we promise you that tomorrow all Palestine will be hell for you, God willing."

Israeli officials said the tape underscored the need by the Palestinian Authority to crack down on militants. Palestinian officials said despite the comments, Hamas remains committed to a six-month-old cease-fire.

With Palestinian legislative elections approaching in January, Hamas and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party are locked in a bitter struggle over who deserves credit for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. Israel removed the last of its 21 settlements in Gaza this week, and is expected to complete the pullout by early October.

Hamas claims that years of suicide bombings and rocket attacks drove the Israelis out. Abbas has tried to shore up his standing with promises that he can improve life in Gaza after the withdrawal. Abbas is a vocal critic of violence and hopes to resume peace talks with Israel.

In the tape, Deif praised the armed struggle against Israel. "Without this jihad and this steadfastness, we did not achieve the liberation of the Gaza Strip," he said, adding that attacks should continue until Israel is eliminated.

In an open challenge to Abbas, he also rejected calls to disarm, though he said differences between Palestinian groups should be resolved through peaceful dialogue.

"We warn against touching these weapons, and want to keep them as an effective element to liberate the rest of our homeland," he said. "We want to use dialogue to solve any differences in order to protect our Palestinian blood and our national achievement."

Deif, widely believed to be at the top of Israel's most-wanted list, is responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings. He has survived at least two Israeli assassination attempts, most recently a 2002 missile strike in which he lost an eye.

There was no way to positively identify the figure as Deif because a dark shadow covered his face. Deif has been in hiding since 1992 and the only known photos of him were taken in the 1980s.

But the high quality of the video, which was stamped with the logo of the Hamas military wing, as well as the similarity of the voice to previous recordings indicated the tape was authentic.

Hamas had boasted for several days that Deib was going to make a public statement, and militants delivered the tape to The Associated Press offices in Gaza City. The group also posted a transcript of his comments on its Web site.

Tawfiq Abu Khoussa, a spokesman for the Palestinian Interior Ministry, which is in charge of security in Palestinian-controlled areas, said there was nothing new in the tape. He said Hamas remains committed to a cease-fire declared by the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in February.

"It wasn't secret that Hamas military wing in Gaza exists, and Mohammed Deif is still alive," he said. "All Palestinian factions are committed to the truce, including Hamas, and we see nothing new in Hamas' position toward the truce."

Hamas has scaled back its activities since the truce declaration, but Israel says the group is using the lull to revamp its military capabilities. Israel has said any resumption of peace talks would depend on Abbas' ability to disarm Hamas and other militant groups.

Gideon Meir, a senior official with the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said the videotape threatened to derail the recent atmosphere of goodwill after the Gaza pullout.

"The disengagement opened a prospect of hope for the Palestinian people and Mohammed Deif is trying to spoil the show," he said.

"His declaration proves again why the Palestinian Authority must fulfill its duty and fight the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades," he added referring to the major armed Palestinian groups.

Abbas has said all militant groups should disarm after the Gaza pullout, but he has been hesitant to confront them with force.

Opponents of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Israel have criticized the Gaza pullout as a surrender to Palestinian violence. Many Israelis fear the area will turn into a Hamas stronghold after the pullout and be used as a base for continued attacks against Israel.