April 19, 2006: HAMAS's Voice of Al-Aqsa Cites Officials on Financial Situation, Tel Aviv Blast

Gaza-based Voice of Al-Aqsa (idha'at sawt al-aqsa) -- mouthpiece of the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS -- focuses mainly on religious, political, and cultural issues and carries newscasts and talk shows.

The radio has been observed to carry the following topics from 1100 to 1200 GMT and from 1900 to 2000 GMT on 18 April:

Palestinian factions urge Abbas to apologize for his statements on the Tel Aviv bombings, large crowds of citizens in Gaza City lay to rest the body of a Palestinian killed by "Zionists," the "occupation forces" launch a large-scale arrest campaign in the West Bank, spokesman for the HAMAS Parliamentary Bloc says the West knows the movement will not recognize the "Zionist entity," and the "Zionist prime minister" chairs a security meeting to discuss retaliation for the Tel Aviv bombing. The radio also deals with other local, regional, and international issues.

Starting with the security situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the radio says that "Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Sami al-Ghul Brigades, Al-Nasir Salah-al-Din Brigades, and other factions have urged Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmud Abbas to apologize for his statements in which he described the Tel Aviv bombing operation as despicable." At a news conference they gave in Gaza City today, the said military wings of Palestinian factions "voiced their rejection of Abu-Mazin's (Mahmud Abbas) statements on the bombing operation as shameful and an insult to the resistance's achievements." They also "rejected pressures being put on the Palestinian Government and the Palestinian people."

Large crowds of Palestinians in Gaza City, the radio says, "today laid to rest the body of a Palestinian citizen, who was killed in Zionist artillery shelling in thenorthern Gaza Strip yesterday." Meanwhile, it says, "the Zionist artillery continues to pound northern Gaza Strip, wounding a Palestinian citizen," adding that "a Zionist helicopter gunship fired a rocket at a workshop in Gaza City at dawn today, causing severe damage to the workshop and nearby buildings."

In another development, the radio says, "the Zionist occupation forces arrested Jerusalem Affairs Minister Khalid Abu-Arafah north of the occupied city of Jerusalem today," adding that "Zionist occupation forces also prevented citizens from leaving the West Bank city of Nabulus for nearby villages." "Zionist forces" also "stormed the city of Tulkarm at dawn today, breaking into a Palestinian house and arresting three people." A radio correspondent gives more details of the security situation in the West Bank.

The HAMAS Movement organized a popular march in the Balata refugee camp east of the West Bank city of Nabulus last night "in support of Palestinian prisoners in Zionist occupation jails."

For its part, the Palestinian Government "has blamed the Zionist occupation for the Tel Aviv martyrdom operation," and said that "the occupation must bear the consequences of its aggressive practices." Meanwhile, the HAMAS Movement has stressed that "resistance is a legitimate right for the Palestinian people" and that "the means of resistance is determined by the means of aggression."

For its part, Al-Quds Brigades, military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, "has criticized PA President Abbas' statement describing the Tel Aviv bombing operation as despicable." In a statement to the radio, Muhammad Hijazi, commander of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, said that "the martyrdom operation in the occupied city of Tel Aviv is a natural response to the Zionist occupation's crimes." Welcoming martyrdom operations, he threatened "to carry out more operations in Palestinian territories occupied in 1948." Al-Quds Brigades also criticized the PA president's denunciation of the Tel Aviv operation, adding that PA President Abbas "should have defended the Palestinian people and condemned the Zionist military escalation against Palestinians."

Prisoner Affairs Minister Wasfi Qabha last night said that "the Palestinian territories will never enjoy security and stability unless all of the Palestinian prisoners are released from Zionist jails." He said that despite pressures on the Palestinian Government, the prisoner issue "will remain a top priority for the government," adding that the Prisoner Day "is a day of struggle and support for the prisoners."

In another development, Dr Salah al-Bardawil, spokesman for the HAMAS Parliamentary Bloc, has stated that "the HAMAS Movement has received messages from the West showing that European countries have concluded that the movement will not recognize the Zionist entity" and that "pressures on the movement will not work." This came in a reception organized by the HAMAS Movement north of Khan Yunus on the martyrdom anniversary of Dr Abd-al-Aziz al-Rantisi. The parties that urge HAMAS to recognize the PLO as the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, he said, "failed to implement the Cairo agreement on the need to restructure the PLO on new bases and to include certain factions, such as HAMAS, which has won the legislative elections, and the Islamic Jihad Movement." He also said that "nobody knows the number of the Palestine National Council's members" and that "a large number of the members of the PLO Executive Committee have died." He also criticized "those urging the HAMAS Movement to recognize the Zionist entity" and said that "the movement stretches its hand and is ready to enter into a constructive dialogue with the various Palestinian factions and forces with the aim of building a perfect political institution." In conclusion, Al-Bardawil said that "his movement views the PLO positively, but demands that the organization should be reconstructed so that it can represent the Palestinian forces."

In another development, the Legislative Council held an ordinary session at its Gaza and Ramallah headquarters to discuss several issues. Finance Minister Umar Abd-al-Raziq also reviewed "the difficult economic situation facing our people and our government as a result of the debts." For its part, the Political Committee also "submitted a report on the US and European decisions to cut aid to the Palestinian people."

For his part, Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmud al-Zahhar continues his official two-day visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi officials "on the latest political developments related to the Palestine question and the blockade clamped on the Palestinian people."

The "Zionist prime minister" chaired a security meeting today "to discuss Zionist retaliation for the Tel Aviv martyrdom operation." For his part, "Zionist Minister of terrorism" Mofaz chaired a similar meeting yesterday to discuss military operations against the Islamic Jihad Movement, particularly in the West Bank cities of Janin and Nabulus where the "Zionist forces" are already carrying out military operations.

In its 1900 GMT newscast, the radio deals with the following topics: &n bsp;

Palestinian masses attend funeral of a Palestinian in the township of Bayt Lahya in northern Gaza Strip, the Zionist artillery continues to pound northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian resistance factions urge PA President to apologize for condemning the Tel Aviv operation, HAMAS rejects Zionist Prime Minister Olmert's decision to strip three of the movement's Jerusalemite deputies of their citizenship, and Norway says it is ready to meet with HAMAS officials next month. The radio also deals with other local, regional, and international issues.

For his part, Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmud al-Zahhar held talks with his Saudi counterpart in Riyadh today. Al-Zahhar thanked the kingdom for "its leading role in the Palestine question." During the talks, Al-Zahhar briefed his Saudi counterpart "on the serious political and economic challenges facing the Palestinian people, as well as the Zionist military escalation against Palestinians." For his part, the Saudi foreign minister urged the Palestinian Government "to provide security for the Palestinian citizens," stressing that "Saudi Arabia supports the Palestinian people."

Jamal al-Khudari, Palestinian minister of telecommunications and information technology, met with Ahmad Bin-Abdallah, Qatari minister of state for foreign affairs, and other Qatari Foreign Ministry officials in Doha today. Al-Khudari received "a letter from the Qatari minister of state for foreign affairs on the Qatari's Government's decision to extend $50 million in aid to the PA."

In another development, Ghazi Hamad, spokesman for the Palestinian Government, has stated that "the government can collect $300 million this month" and that "large amounts of money have been donated by Islamic and Arab countries." HAMAS Political Bureau Chief Khalifah Mish'al "has held a telephone contact with Qatari Amir Hamad Bin-Khalifah Al Thani to thank him for the Qatari aid of $50 million to the Palestinian people."

Ahmad Farahat, spokesman for HAMAS Movement in the West Bank, "has voiced the movement's rejection of the Zionist acting prime minister's decision to strip three of the movement's Jerusalemite deputies of their citizenship in retaliation for yesterday's Tel Aviv martyrdom operation."

In another development, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah Movement, has announced that "it will confront any attempt to topple the new government," that "our people will never kneel," and that "pressure on the government amounts to a punishment of the Palestinian people for their democratic choice."

A resident of the so-called Kibutz in southern Palestine occupied in 1948 "has alleged that one of the rockets that landed in the settlement was carrying a chemical warhead," adding that "the warhead did not go off" and that "senior Zionist officials toured the area and demanded that the Zionist authorities refrain from revealing the issue."

The radio repeats other news reports covered in the 1100 GMT newscast.