What Savage Is This?

Thanks to Anne

From the UK Telegraph

A senior Hamas leader has warned Israel that Islamists would avenge the deaths of young Palestinians in Gaza by killing Jewish children around the world.

"They have legitimised the murder of their own children by killing the children of Palestine," said Mahmoud Zahar, in a televised broadcast recorded at a secret location. "They have legitimised the killing of their people all over the world by killing our people." Mr Zahar, a hard-line political leader, made his first appearance since Israeli launched its offensive against his organisation.

He claimed victory for Hamas, saying it had succeeded in "destroying Israel's sense of security" with its rocket attacks.

Palestinian officials said 541 people had been killed in the Gaza Strip over the 10 days of fighting and that 90 people – mostly civilians, including 26 children – had died since Israel's ground offensive began on Saturday night.

Recent victims were said to include 13 members of a Palestinian family in an Israeli strike on their home in the Beach refugee camp.

Four Israelis have been killed by rockets since the attack began and one Israeli soldier has died.

A Hamas delegation has travelled to Egypt to discuss a ceasefire but its leaders promised to continue the rocket attacks and said fighters would resist Israel's assault "in every street, every alley and at every house".

Israel has in turn declined to scale back its assaults on the Gaza Strip, despite strong lobbying from the international community.