Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal rained praise upon Egypt as not an impartial broker in today’s ceasefire agreement, but as a “brother” who was finally helping the Islamist cause.
Eight days of fighting ceased at 2 p.m. Eastern time after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.
“Israel, in all of its goals has failed, thanks to God. Our brothers in Egypt were asked. The whole world asked our brothers in Egypt to sponsor account, to the ceasefire, a calm to the situation,” Meshaal said. “The Israelis asked them, the Russians, the U.N., everybody went to Egypt, you can pressure Hamas, pressure the resistance, please, do so, but I tell you, Egypt with no honesty. Egypt took its responsibility.”
“Thankfully, with a complete spirit as a respected state, that the whole world asked them to do its responsible professionally and objectively and at the same time did not forget its Arab nation, that is the Arab nation and Muslim nation that Palestine lives through the conscience of Egypt,” he continued. “Egypt did not sell out the resistance, did not pressure that resistance as some people are saying. Egypt behaved responsibly. Egypt wanted to end the aggression, but not with any price. On the contrary, Egypt understood our requests.”
In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Meshaal claimed that rockets fired indiscriminately into Israeli territory do not target civilians.
“I don’t like to shed any drop of blood,” he said.
“I tell you, through CNN, to the whole world, we are ready to resort to a peaceful way, truly peaceful way, without blood and weapon, as long as we attain our Palestinian demands,” Meshaal continued. “The elimination of occupation and Palestinian state and ending the occupation and the wall (ph), all the goals, all the national goals.”
“I accept a state of the 1967. How can I accept Israel? They have occupied my land. I need recognition, not the Israelis.”
Meshaal also acknowledged that Iran is among those giving Hamas support. “Any state supporting us or killing the occupiers, we welcome them and we thank them,” he said.
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