Steven Emerson, Executive Director March 23, 2017 Articles by IPT |  IPT in the News |  IPT Blog |  Profiles |  Multimedia |  Donate |  Contact Us Hamas Seeks "Moderate" Image As Leader Calls for Israel's Demise by IPT News  •  Mar 23, 2017 at 2:41 pm http://www.investigativeproject.org/5882/hamas-seeks-moderate-image-as-leader-calls-for Print Send RSS Share: Be the first of your friends to like this. Gaza's Hamas chief Yayha Sinwar said Wednesday that his terrorist organization will continue its campaign to fight Israel until it secures "the liberation of all of Palestine," despite recent reports of Hamas seeking to moderate its outlook. "Hamas will continue in the path of Yassin for the liberation of all of Palestine — we will not surrender even a morsel [of the land]", said Sinwar at an event commemorating the death anniversary of Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin. Sinwar, considered extreme even by Hamas standards, openly supports violence against Israel and opposes any compromise in the terrorist group's policies. His proclamation confirms that Hamas remains steadfast in its ultimate goal of destroying the Jewish state despite the terrorist group's recent efforts to project a more peaceful stance to the international community. Hamas intends to release a new platform at the end of the month, following internal elections, which reportedly omits prior references to waging jihad against Jews and accept a temporary Palestinian state in the territories Israel acquired following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Support for a temporary solution, however, does not mean that Hamas will suddenly give up its aims to destroy the Jewish state in the longer-run. Despite these apparent overtures, Hamas refuses to revoke its 1988 charter, which openly advocates for Israel's demise and "confronting the usurpation of Palestine by the Jews through jihad." "The [new] document carries a kind of superficial change, but in fact it upholds most of Hamas' principles," Gaza analyst Akram Atallah told the Associated Press. Hamas does plan to rescind its status as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in an attempt to alleviate tensions with Egypt. Nevertheless, the Palestinian group refuses to severe ties with the Brotherhood. For Hamas, there is no difference between pre-1967 Israel and the West Bank or Gaza Strip. The terrorist group considers the entirety of Israel and the Palestinian territories as "Palestine." Sinwar's statement suggests that the group's new manifesto is a symbolic sham aimed at deceiving Western governments into removing Hamas from terrorist designations. Related Topics: IPT News, Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas charter, Ahmed Yassin, Israel's destruction The IPT accepts no funding from outside the United States, or from any governmental agency or political or religious institutions. Your support of The Investigative Project on Terrorism is critical in winning a battle we cannot afford to lose. All donations are tax-deductible. Click here to donate online. The Investigative Project on Terrorism Foundation is a recognized 501(c)3 organization.   To subscribe: http://www.investigativeproject.org/list_subscribe.php The Investigative Project on Terrorism 202-363-8602 - main 202-966-5191 - fax