Militant Palestinian Group Pledges Allegiance to Bin Laden
"We vow to protect al Aqsa Mosque and liberate the lands of Islamic Palestine from the Zionists and the Cruders." The statement indicates the group is formed of foreign militants who headed to Gaza to fight the Israeli army under the banner of al Qaeda. "To our Muslim brothers in the land of Islamic Palestine we say: We have come to you, across the border, raising the banner of Islam and the weapon of jihad."
The group, who took a local man called "Abul Qassem" as its leader, also presented its operations including rocket attacks on Israeli settlements adjacent to Rafah and Beit Hanun, a rocket attack on Ashkelon on May 14th and an IED attack on an Israeli Jeep in eastern Absan, in Khan Younis. The statement explains that the latter was initially meant to be a suicide operation. A short clip depicting the IED attack was provided with the statement.
The statement also warns President Mahmoud Abbas that if he does not stop his campaign against the mujaheddin the group would use car bombs to target the "traitors."