Hamas announces missile 'upgrade'
Missiles, antitank weapons will be 'more accurate and effective,' says Qassam Brigades spokesman; Mashaal 'optimistic' over unity talks in Damascus
The Qassam Brigades is the armed wing of Hamas.
According to the statement, reported on Monday on the Hamas website Palestine Info, which has a UK web domain address, Hamas is "striving hard to upgrade its missiles and antitank weapons to make them more accurate and more effective than what they are now."
The website, which refers to the IDF as the "Israeli occupation forces (IOF)" added: "After revealing the news in press statements he made Sunday, Abu Obaida warned IOF generals and Israel's war minister Amir Peretz against carrying out any military operations in Gaza Strip."
"If the IOF troops' commit any foolishness in the Strip, the Brigades along with other armed wings of the Palestinian resistance will respond painfully," the spokesman threatened.
"We will intensify firing our missiles on Israeli settlements that became within the range of our rockets, and we will not hesitate to use them again in retaliation to any Israeli aggressions," he added.
The Hamas website boasted the continuing rocket attacks on Israel, describing Sderot as an "Israeli colony."
"The Israeli occupation government was desperately attempting to foil Palestinian missiles fired from Gaza Strip on Israeli colonies, especially (on the) Sderot settlement among others, but failed so far in achieving the mission despite the repeated military operations the IOF troops carried out in the Strip over the past six years," the website said.
Hamas, Fatah discuss PLO reactivation
Meanwhile, in a separate report, the Hamas site said "supreme political leader of Hamas Khaled Mashaal has expressed optimism that the formation of a PA unity government was only a matter of time as Hamas and Fatah agreed on the main pillars of that government."
"Mashaal's optimism came as he met with former PA prime minister and Fatah senior leader Ahmed Quria in the Syrian capital Damascus Sunday night where both leaders discussed a number of issues, including the reactivation of the PLO," the Hamas report added, adding that "during the meeting, Mashaal telephoned PA chief Mahmoud Abbas."
"Our main objective is lifting the unjust economic siege on our people, enhancing our internal front, and turning a new page in the inter-Palestinian relations among other goals before focusing on equally important national issues, including Jerusalem, the apartheid wall in the West Bank, the right of return to Palestinian refugees, and the PLO among other national projects", Mashaal was quoted as saying.
