Terror group: Moyal's resignation a Palestinian victory

"The resignation of Sderot's mayor constitutes a great victory for the Palestinian resistance. This is a political victory, a victory for morale, it adds to the humiliation we are heaping upon the Zionist army in the field," Muhammad Abd al-'Al, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), told Ynet on Wednesday.

Members of Abd al-'Al's organization took part earlier in the day in launching the heavy rocket barrage against Sderot, leading Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal to announce his resignation.

Concerning Moyal, Abd al-'Al added: "The man who threatened to wipe Beit Hanoun off the map and called upon the Israeli military to do just that was himself wiped off the Israeli public map today. God willing, other senior Israeli officials will resign following their failure in Gaza, as their friends did after Israel's defeat in Lebanon. We hope that Olmert too will eventually be forced to pay."

The spokesman said that the rockets fired Wednesday were part of the new arsenal that the Palestinian organizations have recently obtained.

"If the residents of Sderot do not go out into the streets and protest against their government to stop its attack and siege of Gaza, I suggest that they and their friends in Ashkelon run for cover," Abd al-'Al threatened.

"For every meter that an Israeli tank advances on Gazan territory in the large-scale operation they are planning, we will push those residents thousands of meters from their homes."

According to Abd al-'Al, the central aim of the rockets is not to cause physical harm, but to damage morale and sow frustration among the Israeli public and its army "which is sure of its own invincibility."

The spokesman also claimed that Wednesday's events proved that despite the fact that Israel's helicopters are still hovering over Gaza's skies and its tanks and artillery are still targeting rocket launchers, the Palestinian groups are still firing.

Even the possibility of a far-reaching military operation in the Strip won't deter the PRC, the spokesman said."It would appear that the threatening Israelis are not real men. Besides, the Israeli army is aware of some of the improvements we have made to our weapon arsenal and the quality of the fighters forming the ranks of the Palestinian resistance organizations, the army isn't in a rush to enter the Strip because it knows it will end very badly for Israel.

"Our improved missiles are waiting for the enemy's tanks, but the ones who will (really) suffer are those Israeli residents of the area," he said.

On the way to the West Bank

When asked whether the aggressive Palestinian stance is not self-destructive, decreasing the possibility of receiving aid from the international community, like that of the donor countries set to meet next week in Paris, Abd al-'Al thus responded: "These countries which supposedly give to the Palestinians never showed true compassion for the Palestinian people and have never been interested in its suffering. They've never considered its rights and its interests. The only things they care about are Israel and its interests."

In conclusion, the PRC spokesman told Ynet that the West Bank will not remain quiet for long: "The Israelis will soon suffer painful blows, in the West Bank too.

"We and the other Palestinian organizations are prepared for the great struggle to commence and to hurt the Israelis in the West Bank as well. I hope that we will soon begin bringing the technology and know-how needed to launch rocket attacks to the West Bank."