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"I accuse Israel of having poisoned the blood of Abu Ammar," said Mashaal, who survived an Israeli poisoning attempt in 1997
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BEIRUT,
November 11 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Hamas leader
Khaled Mashal on Thursday, November 11, accused Israel of poisoning
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
"I
accuse Israel of having poisoned the blood of Abu Ammar
(Arafat)," Mashaal told Aljazeera news channel commenting on the
official announcement of Arafat’s death.
"Seven
years ago, when I was the victim of a similar poisoning operation, the
doctors were unable to find any proof in my blood. But at the time,
Israel was forced to hand over the antidote because we were holding
two Mossad agents," he said.
Two
Israeli intelligence agents were arrested in Jordan in 1997 after trying
to poison the Hamas politburo leader.
The
Israeli government then provided antidote and released a number of
Hamas members held in Israeli jails in return for freeing its arrested
agents.
Palestinian
sources told IslamOnline.net on Thursday, November 4, that Arafat had
been slowly
yet fatally poisoned before being taken to a
French hospital.
Ashraf
Al-Kurdi, Arafat’s long-time doctor, had earlier said that poisoning
could be the reason behind the disorder of the blood platelets of the
Palestinian leader.
Israel
had repeatedly threatened
to kill Arafat, who escaped 13 assassination attempts,
including three poisoning attempts, according to the Palestinian
sources.
Israeli
Industry Minister Ehud Olmert said on September 14, that Killing
Arafat is an option.
Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon threatened the same day to expel
Arafat from the occupied Palestinian territories.
Killing
Peace
Mashaal
accused Israeli of killing stone dead all hopes of peace by killing
the veteran Palestinian leader.
"Israel
killed Yasser Arafat... By killing Arafat today, Israel has killed the
peace process. It has killed the one who created with it this
process," he said.
"This
is perhaps a message to the Palestinians and Arabs to tell them that
this will be the fate of whoever refuses Israeli imposed
solutions," Mashaal said.
Hamas
vowed to continue resistance against the Israeli occupation till
liberating the occupied Palestinian lands.
"The
death of the great leader would enhance our determination to continue
struggle and resistance against the Zionist enemy till achieving
victory and liberation," said a Hamas statement.
