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Voice of the Copts, a nonprofit organization, fights the spread of Islamic supremacy and Sharia throughout the Western world through education, advocacy and action. By drawing attention to the suffering of Coptic Christians in Egypt, it endeavors to educate the Western world as to the chilling effect of Sharia (Islamic law). Founded in 2007 by Dr. Ashraf Ramelah, Voice of the Copts focuses on three key issues: freedom of religion, cultural identity and women’s rights.
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Hamas leader pledges fresh try at Egypt-brokered truce with Israel
- Details
- Category: News
- Created on Saturday, 23 June 2012 17:01
- Written by AL ARABIYA - AGENCIES
Ismail Haniyeh0A leader of the ruling Hamas said Saturday the militant group had agreed to try anew an Egypt-brokered ceasefire with Israel, after six days of bloodshed in and around the Gaza Strip.Hamas and “the Palestinian resistance factions will respect the truce as long as the (forces) of the occupation do the same and that’s what we told our Egyptian brothers who demanded that we cease fire,” Ayman Taha told AFP.
“The Egyptians have demanded that the (forces) of the occupation stop their aggression and have informed us that they are prepared to do so,” he added.
“We told them that we shall respond to calm with calm; if the occupier stops (its attacks) there will be no further retaliation by the resistance factions.”
An official close to the group said the truce would take effect from midnight (2100 GMT).
Earlier in the day Hamas threatened to call off a previous truce attempt announced on Wednesday which was unraveling, with Palestinian officials reporting three Palestinians killed and dozens wounded in seven Israeli air strikes Saturday.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said that by Saturday evening 24 rockets had slammed into southern Israel from Gaza, with another five brought down by its Iron Dome air defense system.
More were said to have fallen at sea or inside the Gaza Strip itself.
A man in the town of Sderot was injured in one attack during the morning, Israeli police said.
The current round of Israeli attacks and Palestinian retaliation began with air strikes Monday morning, just hours after gunmen from Sinai carried out an ambush along Israel’s southern border with Egypt, killing an Israeli civilian.
Israel has said its sudden spike in Gaza operations was “in no way related” to the Sinai border incident, with the military saying the air force was targeting militants poised to attack the Jewish state.
Since Monday Palestinians have reported 15 dead in Gaza strikes, with dozens wounded. At least 150 rockets and mortar shells have hit Israel, wounding five people, among them four border police officers.
Hamas’s military wing, which had not claimed responsibility for any of the rocket fire in the past few days, said it was “ready to smash the Israeli arrogance in response to its aggression.”
Hamas medical officials said a six-year-old Palestinian boy had been killed in an air strike and a that a baby had been hurt in a separate strike near the Egyptian border.
Israel denied involvement in hurting either of the children.
Lieutenant Colonel Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, said on Twitter that the report of Israeli responsibility for the death of the six-year-old was the result of “false rumours” and that the boy had died due to an explosion of ordnance belonging to Palestinian militants.
Another Israeli military spokeswoman said she had no report of any air strikes in Rafah, where the baby was reported to have been hurt.
Israel confirmed its aircraft had struck three militant targets in Gaza in at least two predawn raids.
Israel never formally commented on the truce but its officials had pledged to respond to any rocket fire from Gaza.
Cairo has brokered such deals in the past and stepped in this time fearing the violence, which coincided with a keenly contested presidential race in Egypt, could spiral out of control.
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