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Hamas Announces 'Popular Army' After Temple Mount Clashes
[IsraelTimes] Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, announced the creation of a âpopular armyâ in the Gazoo Strip on Friday, saying it was ready for any future conflict with Israel, particularly over the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque site at The Temple Mount.At a ceremony at the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north of the devastated Paleostinian territory, a front man for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades â the military arm of the Islamist Hamas â said 2,500 recruits would form âthe first section of the popular army for the liberation of Al-Aqsa [mosque] and of Paleostineâ. Mohammed Abu Askar, a Hamas official, said those older than 20 could sign up âto be prepared for any confrontationâ with Israel. Hamas and Israel fought a 50-day war this summer which resulted in the deaths of 2,140 Paleostinians â at least half of them combatants, according to Israel â and 73 Israelis, the majority of them soldiers. Abu Askar said the new Hamas force had been established "at a moment when the Al-Aqsa mosque is subject to serious Israeli violations". Another Al-Qassam front man said "the people, arms and the tunnels are going well", in reference to Hamas's network of underground passages, hundreds of which have been destroyed by Israel and Egypt to prevent arms smuggling, and which were used during Operation Protective Edge to attack Israeli troops. Posted by: trailing wife 2014-11-08 |
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