(Independent-UK) Catrina Stewart - Masked and heavily armed militants from Hamas' armed wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, joined the hundreds of thousands of jubilant Palestinians who crowded into Gaza City's Al-Katiba Square to greet the arrival of nearly 300 newly freed prisoners. On a stage bedecked with flags and garlands, a giant poster depicted the capture of an Israeli soldier as the crowd chanted: "We want another Shalit!" Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told the crowd: "Some described Shalit's captivity as a worthless adventure but today they are proven wrong." "Palestinians have a feeling of victory," said Atef Masad, 46. "It is something we have taken from Israel by force. It is something we can't get through negotiations."
2011-10-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive