Hamas Leader Vows to Seize the West Bank, Then ‘All of Palestine’

A senior Hamas leader vowed that the terrorist group will build an “Islamic state in all of Palestine” by first expanding the territory it controls to the West Bank.

Palestinian Media Watch, quoting the Al-Ayyam publication, reported that senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar said last week at a ceremony honoring Hamas policemen killed by the Israeli military: “[Some] have said Hamas wants to create an Islamic emirate in Gaza. We won't do that, but we will build an Islamic state in Palestine, all of Palestine.”

The aspiration to create a state in “all of Palestine” would mean Israel would no longer exist.

Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar speaks to the media in Gaza City, Gaza, Sept. 30, 2014. (Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Al-Zahar suggested the way to achieve that goal would be to secure control of the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority currently rules the large Palestinian cities. He said that if Hamas were to “transfer what it has or just a small part of it to the West Bank, we would be able to settle the battle of the final promise with a speed that no one can imagine.”

Palestinian Media Watch pointed out that the phrase Al-Zahar used “the final promise” refers to an excerpt of the Koran (Sura 17:7) which tells of a battle of total destruction.

“By alluding to this passage in the context of Israel, Hamas is promising a future war of destruction against Israel,” Palestinian Media Watch observed.

In his remarks, Al-Zahar said, “We know exactly how to liberate the land of Palestine, and we know how to hit every inch of Palestine with our hands, brains, and money.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a speech to the United Nations last week criticized the territorial aspirations of Hamas, comparing it to the Islamic State group saying, “ISIS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree.”

“ISIS and Hamas share a fanatical creed, which they both seek to impose well beyond the territory under their control,” Netanyahu said. “So when it comes to their ultimate goals, Hamas is ISIS and ISIS is Hamas.”