(AP/Qatar Tribune) Hamas militants pulled out all the stops at a rally in Gaza to honor Mahmoud al-Mabhouh on Wednesday. A large portrait of him, adorned with red roses, stood in front of the stage, next to a large Israeli flag spread out on the ground, like a carpet. Uniformed Hamas fighters marched on the flag, carrying a wreath toward the al-Mabhouh portrait in a mock burial. Other Hamas fighters unfurled a four-story-tall al-Mabhouh portrait, rappelling down the facade of a high-rise building. They also held up photos of four Israeli soldiers slain by Hamas, including two by al-Mabhouh, and the portrait of a fifth, Sgt. Gilad Shalit, who has been held in Gaza since 2006. Masked gunmen led the crowd of 3,000 in a collective oath of revenge. The memorial was meant to boost morale and project strength, after his death in Dubai exposed Hamas' vulnerability.
2010-02-19 08:41:21Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive