Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:32:53
Tarek Al-Farra, Press TV, Khan Younis
Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:28:33 GMT | PressTV
 Palestinians wave red Turkish and green Hamas flags in a rally in support of Hamas and its call for democracy, Jan 31, Khan Younis, Gaza |
Thousands of Palestinians have poured to the streets of Gaza to show their support for Hamas and its call for a new democratic authority.
Across the Gaza Strip, thousands took to the streets in support of Hamas and its leader Khalid Mashaal who called for the creation of an alternative representative authority to replace the Fatah-run Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Press TV's correspondent Tarek al-Farra reported from Khan Younis on Saturday.
Across the Gaza Strip, thousands took to the streets in support of Hamas and its leader Khalid Mashaal who called for the creation of an alternative representative authority to replace the Fatah-run Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Press TV's correspondent Tarek al-Farra reported from Khan Younis on Saturday.
The protesters, who were chanting slogans in support of the resistance movement, waved Turkey's red flag alongside green Hamas banners, after Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of the World Economic Forum in support of Gaza.
Erdogan walked out of the Davos forum on Friday in protest to a heated speech by Israeli President Shimon Peres in favor of the regime's bloody military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The Turkish premier, who had been cut short by an American mediator when trying to respond to Pres's remarks, received a warm welcome from the people of Turkey upon his arrival in Ankara.
In the last days of 2008 Israel started pounding the Gaza Strip and continued for 23 days, killing over 1330 Palestinians, injuring almost 5,500, and leaving up to 70 thousand homeless.
One of Israel's stated objectives was to topple Hamas and reduce its popularity among the Palestinian people.
Saturday demonstrators in Khan Younis, however, said that not only had Israel failed to bring down Hamas, but its military campaign had added to the democratically-elected government's popularity among Palestinians.
"The Israeli cowards failed in this war they thought that they would destroy the resistance and Hamas, but we must tell them that the popularity of Hamas has grown more than before," said one of the demonstrators.
"The resistance will continue to work toward achieving its goals, which are liberating all Palestinian prisoners, repatriating all Palestinian refugees and completely ending the siege," he added.
Erdogan walked out of the Davos forum on Friday in protest to a heated speech by Israeli President Shimon Peres in favor of the regime's bloody military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The Turkish premier, who had been cut short by an American mediator when trying to respond to Pres's remarks, received a warm welcome from the people of Turkey upon his arrival in Ankara.
In the last days of 2008 Israel started pounding the Gaza Strip and continued for 23 days, killing over 1330 Palestinians, injuring almost 5,500, and leaving up to 70 thousand homeless.
One of Israel's stated objectives was to topple Hamas and reduce its popularity among the Palestinian people.
Saturday demonstrators in Khan Younis, however, said that not only had Israel failed to bring down Hamas, but its military campaign had added to the democratically-elected government's popularity among Palestinians.
"The Israeli cowards failed in this war they thought that they would destroy the resistance and Hamas, but we must tell them that the popularity of Hamas has grown more than before," said one of the demonstrators.
"The resistance will continue to work toward achieving its goals, which are liberating all Palestinian prisoners, repatriating all Palestinian refugees and completely ending the siege," he added.
 Hamas Spokesman Hamid al-Rakeb talking to Press TV, Khan Younis, Gaza, Jan. 31 |
Hamas Spokesman Hamid al-Rakeb, who took part in the rally, also said that Israel's offensive had increased Palestinians' confidence.
"The message coming out of Gaza after the war is a cry of rage against the Israeli occupation. Gazans are holding on more to their rights and the resistance is more confident of its ability to achieve bigger victories in the future," al-Rakeb said in the southern city.
Hamas announced that it no longer recognized Mahmoud Abbas as the Palestinian Authority Chief after his term expired on January 8.
"The message coming out of Gaza after the war is a cry of rage against the Israeli occupation. Gazans are holding on more to their rights and the resistance is more confident of its ability to achieve bigger victories in the future," al-Rakeb said in the southern city.
Hamas announced that it no longer recognized Mahmoud Abbas as the Palestinian Authority Chief after his term expired on January 8.
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