Hamas vows revenge for Abu Shanab killing; ditches hudna

Jerusalem Post ^ | 8-21-03

[SJackson]

The Hamas officialy declared Thursday that it was pulling out of the Hudna (cease-fire) on attacks against Israel in response to the targeted killing of top Hamas official Ismail Abu Shanab in Gaza City earlier in the day.

Abu Shanab and at least two other Palestinains were killed Thursday afternoon when Israel Air Force helicopters fired five missiles at a car in a crowded Gaza City neighborhood.

The other two Palestinians killed were reported to have been Shanab's bodyguards.

Palestinian prime minister said that the killing of Hamas leader undermines planned crackdown on militants.

Hamas representative in Lebanon, Osama Ramadan, said that his organization would avenge the killing of Abu Shanab, one of its top five leaders.

"The assassination proves that Israel has never been interested in peace and that Israel has never taken the road map seriously," Ramadan said.

Ramadan called on Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to cut off all contacts with Israel. "Abbas's mission is to protect the Palestinians and not the Israelis," he added.

Abu Shanab's gold-colored station wagon was driving in the Rimal neighborhood near the United Nations headquarters in Gaza City and had slowed down to avoid a large stone in the road when a first missile struck the front of the vehicle.

The missile strike came two days after a Hamas suicide bomber blew himself up on a Jerusalem bus, killing 20 people, including five Americans.

There was no immediate comment by IDF.

One of five top officials of the group, Abu Shanab is known as a moderate within Hamas ranks. The moderate tenor of his statements has often conflicted with the inciting rhetoric of more militant leaders, like the group's No. 2, Abdel Aziz Rantisi.

Palestinian officials condemned the strike calling it "irresponsible on the side of Israel which will complicate matters."

[goldstategop]

So much for the fraud called a "hudna." The farce of the Palestinians sincerity to even the simplest of agreements has been revealed for all to see.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[smith288]

Hudna is a farce to begin with.  Muslims can lie with infidels.  Negotiating with Palestinians is like negotiating with a wild lion licking his chops at you...

[adam_az]

"Palestinian prime minister said that the killing of Hamas leader undermines planned crackdown on militants."

Too bad he's said countless times that he doesn't plan on cracking down on anything but some hummus and olives.

[Gurn]

Let me get this straight. They blew up a bus. One of their towel-heads gets whacked in response, and now they say, "We're pulling out of the cease-fire."

Freakin' rag-headed savages. Not only are they sub-human, they're stupid.

[freedomcrusader]

One of five top officials of the group, Abu Shanab is known as a moderate within Hamas ranks.

And what, pray tell, differentiates a moderate terrorist from a "more militant" one?

He only wants to blow up two buses a week instead of five?

[freeangel]

Jeez, I must have missed the "cease fire". All I have heard about are the constant attacks on Israeli women and children by the "peaceloving" Palis and calls from Bush to Israeli leaders restrain from defending themselves.

[goldstategop]

Yup. That must be it. It shows how idiot our journalists are that a murderer can be considered decent if he murders a few people a week instead of a hundred. The victims are still dead.

[Sender]

Road Map to Peace

[tractorman]

I heard that same spin on the radio this morning.
I laughed out loud asking myself what in the heck a moderate murderer is.

[A Texan]

F'em. Israel should be allowed to take the gloves off and fight. If Israel ever gets that chance those hammas SOB's are going to be in big freaking trouble.

[SupplySider]

The Hamas officialy declared Thursday that it was pulling out of the Hudna (cease-fire)

167 murdered during the so-called truce. You can't pull out of a truce that never was.