Wednesday 16 July 2008

Gaza: Foreign jihadis

Posted by Esther @ Islam in Europe blog

Le Figaro reports that foreigners, including several French citizens, have succeeded in penetrating from Egypt into Gaza in order to fight Israel.

Abu Hafs is a militant in the Army of Believers, a group which appeared after the Israeli pull-back from Gaza in 2005. He says that they're not part of Al-Qaeda but they share its ideology. Their goal is not only to liberate Palestine but to spread Islam everywhere. Despite that al-Qaeda has yet to give these groups real support, or to pronounce them official al-Qaeda branches.

The presence of several dozen foreigners in Gaza is confirmed by the military branch of Hamas and by Western intelligence services. Most come from Arab countries, but official sources in Paris confirm that among the foreigners who slipped in when the border between Gaza and Egypt was breached are several French citizens of Algerian origin.

Abu Hafs says he expects several hundred more foreigners. Al-Qaeda is looking for a way out of Iraq and appeals on jihadi websites to "defend the holy mosque of Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem" are flourishing. The latest videos of al-Qaeda called to support the mujahedeen in Palestine.

Hamas claims that as long as it's in power, al-Qaeda won't be able to enter. Abu Hafs thinks that Hamas are sinners, since they agreed to sit in a government which wasn't ruled by Sharia law, and have now agreed to a truce with Israel.

Source: Le Figaro (French)

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