24 June 2002

In the name of Allah the most Gracious the most Merciful

“Men said to them: "A great army is gathering against you, so fear them": but it (only) increased their Faith; they said: "For us Allah sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs."”

 “Israel” occupies cities, assassinates fighters and imposes siege on PA chief

And the PA imposes house arrest on Sheikh of the Mujahideen and arrests strugglers

Our Mujahid Palestinian people … Our Arab and Islamic masses:

At the era of the peace mirage and defeatist initiatives Zionist American-made Apache helicopter gunships bombard a taxicab on Monday 13^th Rabee Thani 1423H – 24/6/2002AD murdering:

The martyr Qassam commander: Yasser Saeed Rizk along with his two brothers the Qassam martyrs: Yousef Saeed Rizk and Bassam Saeed Rizk in addition to the Qassam martyr: Ameer Mohammed Quffa. The taxicab driver martyr Sami Omar and martyr Midhat Al-Jourani were murdered in the same attack.

About ten passersby were wounded in the same savage attack. The Qassam commander was heading to hospital to continue treatment of wounds suffered during Jihad operations.

This crime coincided with the Palestinian Authority’s step of imposing house arrest on our Mujahid Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in a step that was met with absolute dismay on the part of our people and our Ummah. This step only serves Zionist occupation’s higher interests. The Zionist authorities responded by completing occupation of the West Bank cities by storming Ramallah and El-Bireh and besieging headquarters of the PA chief. Such a step was reciprocated by the PA with further arrests and kidnap of Mujahideen from streets and alleys hoping to win satisfaction of both the Zionists and Americans.

Faced by such irresponsible steps we call for the following:

-We urge the PA to preserve the higher national interest, which is threatened by its irresponsible measures, and to return to the Palestinian people’s trench and not to bow to American and Zionist pressures.

-We call for lifting the house arrest off Sheikh Ahmed Yassin immediately and without further delay and setting free all those detained and kidnapped from streets and alleys.

-We affirm continuation of the Jihad and resistance march and intensification of martyrdom operations in their capacity as our retaliation to the occupation and PA’s policies.

 "For us Allah sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs."

And it is a Jihad until either victory or martyrdom

Qassam Brigades
13^th Rabee Thani 1423H
24/6/2002AD