Khaled Meshaal, the former leader of Hamas, has issued a call for protests across the Muslim world in support of the Palestinians. Meshaal, who currently heads the Hamas diaspora office and is based in Qatar, made this call in a recorded statement.
In his statement, Meshaal said, “We must head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday”. He urged the governments and peoples of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt to support the Palestinians, stating that they have a bigger duty in this regard.
Meshaal, the leader of Hamas, urged the Jordanian and Lebanese people to join the fight against Israel. He said that this was a critical moment for the Palestinians and their allies. He addressed them as follows:
“Tribes of Jordan, sons of Jordan, brothers and sisters of Jordan… This is a moment of truth and the borders are close to you, you all know your responsibility,” Meshaal said.
Jordan and Lebanon are home to the largest number of Palestinian refugees. They have a historical and moral connection to the Palestinian cause.
Meshaal’s call came as Israel threatened to launch a ground invasion of Gaza, after bombing more than 200 targets in the city overnight. The health ministry in Gaza reported that at least 950 people have been killed and 5,000 injured in the densely populated area.
On Saturday, Hamas militants from Gaza carried out a deadly attack in southern Israel, killing dozens of Israelis. It was the worst Palestinian attack in Israel’s history.
Meshaal also appealed to the Islamic scholars and students who promote jihad. He said that this was the time to put their teachings into practice.
“To all scholars who teach jihad… to all who teach and learn, this is a moment for the application (of theories),” Meshaal said.