Haneyya: Sheikh Yassin's martyrdom an incentive for us to restore freedom

GAZA, (PIC)-- Palestinian premier Ismail Haneyya stated Sunday on the fifth anniversary of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin's martyrdom that the martyrdom of this Hamas leader was not an impetus for despair, retrogression and failure, but an incentive for the Palestinians to become a people worthy of freedom. In a statement published in the official Al-Rai newspaper, Haneyya underlined that Sheikh Yassin was the one who founded the Hamas Movement in order to stand in the face of conspiracies and difficulties and remained the head of the Movement until his assassination after he came through many ordeals in his life and was exposed to many attempted assassinations. The premier added that Sheikh Yassin bequeathed the Palestinian people a solid and strong Movement capable of making glory and producing men following in his footsteps. He recalled what Sheikh Yassin had said one day that Hamas is no longer an organization or an idea, but a reality and a magnificent expanding popular trend leading and inspiring the Palestinian people, and the Arab and Muslim nation. Haneyya also touched on the unjust Israeli siege on Gaza, stressing that the blockade is a political, humanitarian and moral crime. The premier underscored that Gaza is a disaster area in light of this wanton siege especially after the Israeli war which caused massive destruction, adding that the reconstruction of Gaza must not be a material for political blackmail at the expense of the distressed Gaza people. He also called on the new American administration to take tangible actions to translate its catchphrase of "change" into a reality especially regarding its positions towards the Palestinian people and their just cause. The premier hailed the European openness to Hamas as a step in the right direction, calling for promoting this relations and taking bold decisions to erase Hamas from the list of banned organizations.