(Miami Herald) Ike Seamans - Hamas sought two goals after Israel's Gaza disengagement. The first has been achieved: the establishment of a base for terrorist operations. Weapons are pouring in through Egypt because Israel has lost control of the border. Hamas is convinced that its second objective will spell the end of the Jewish state: the return of Palestinians, most of whom fled in 1948 and 1967, and their descendants, an estimated seven million people. ''The right of return is next,'' predicts Khaled Mashal, Hamas' majordomo. Jordan's King Abdullah agrees. ''We should stand [against] any plan that aims to deprive Palestinians of their right to return to their homeland,'' he said just after Israel evacuated Gaza.
2005-10-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive