Hamas accuses Israel of fabricating pretext for new war in Gaza

Nov 14, 2009, 12:48 GMT

Gaza - The Islamist Hamas movement which controls the Gaza Strip on Saturday accused Israel of fabricating pretexts to pave the way for a fresh military attack on the Gaza Strip.

Israel recently accused Hamas of having test-fired a long-range Iranian-made rocket capable of reaching targets in Israel. He said Hamas militants had fired the rocket from northern Gaza into the Mediterranean Sea.

Hamas' spokesman in Gaza, Fawzi Barhoum, said in a written statement that Israel's claim that the movement had tested a second rocket 'shows Israel's intentions to escalate aggressive actions against the Gaza Strip.'

'Such threats are coming under the title of incitement and creating pretexts in order to commit more new crimes against Gaza and cover on the previous crimes were committed during the last war,' said Barhoum.

He called on Arab and Islamic nations to sever ties with Israel in response to the threats against the Gaza Strip, adding 'these claims are part of the Israeli lies to justify a new aggression on the Gaza Strip.'

Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement that he could not confirm or deny that the group had test-fired a rocket, 'since such news come from the occupation (Israel), I can't deny or confirm it.'

'These threats are an evidence that the Israeli occupation had failed in its last war on Gaza to achieve its goals. The occupation is trying to escape from the international condemnations by fabricating such lies,' said Abu Obeida.

The Israeli army report said that Hamas had managed during the past a few months to bring huge quantities of weapons to the Gaza Strip, adding these weapons, include until armoured vehicles missiles, and are made in China.