Hamas leader claims Palestinians will create state in "Jaffa, Lod, Haifa," Schalit won't be part of truce.
By JPOST.COM STAFFMahmoud Zahar 248.88 ap(photo credit: AP [file])
Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said Wednesday that a Palestinian state will be established on all of the land of Palestine and not only on parts of it, and that it will include "Jaffa, Lod and Haifa."
Zahar also reiterated Hamas' unwillingness to recognize the State of Israel and said that the group "will continue to persecute the Zionists wherever they are, after we prove that the Zionist army can be defeated - contrary to what was believed in the past, that it is impossible to beat the Zionists."
Speaking in the Gaza Strip, he went on to affirm Palestinian right of return, claiming that the "right of return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians is closer than ever."
"After we defeat the Zionists we will persecute them… we will persecute them to eternity, and the sun of the freedom and independence of the Palestinians will burn all of the Zionists," he continued.
Speaking at a function in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Zahar also said that captured IDF soldier Gilad Schalit's release will not be part of a cease-fire agreement with Israel.
"We will not offer Schalit for free," said Zahar, adding that talks on prisoner exchange are not connected to talks about a cease-fire.
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![Mahmoud Zahar 248.88 ap (photo credit: AP [file])](https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/q_auto/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/6568 "Mahmoud Zahar 248.88 ap")