Gazans celebrate 'victory' over Israel after truce
"One round has ended, but the war has not ended and won't end until the liberation of Palestine," Islamic Jihad leader says.
By KHALED ABU TOAMEHIslamic Jihad operatives 370(photo credit: REUTERS)
Palestinians took to the streets in Gaza City Tuesday to celebrate "victory" over Israel following the Egyptian-brokered truce that was announced after midnight.Addressing the demonstrators by phone from Syria, Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ramadan Shallah said that his group has sent an important message to Israel - "that despite the siege, the Palestinians are able to defend themselves, instill fear among millions of Israelis, disrupt their lives and send them hiding in shelters."Shallah said that Israel was mistaken by assuming that the Gaza Strip was "easy prey."He boasted that his group, which fired dozens of rockets and mortars at Israel since last Friday, has "created a balance of terror with the enemy.""One round has ended, but the war has not ended and won't end until the liberation of Palestine and the dismantlement of the Zionist project," Shallah declared. "Our men have turned the Gaza Strip from a jungle for rifles into a jungle for rockets."Mohammed al-Hindi, another Islamic Jihad leader, told the crowd that his group has succeeded in forcing Israel "to take one step backward."He claimed that Israel was eventually forced to "succumb to the demands of Islamic Jihad and pledge to stop assassinations.However, the Islamic Jihad official said that despite the truce his group would continue to prepare for the next confrontation with Israel. "This is the first time that the enemy succeeds in imposing its conditions on the enemy," al-Hindi added.Click here for special JPost coverage
