Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip are watching the news regarding Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s deteriorating health carefully and will celebrate with Qassam rocket firings at Jewish towns if Sharon dies, terror leaders told WorldNetDaily.
One militant leader threatened the life of Sharon’s temporary replacement, Deputy Minister Ehud Olmert, who was installed as prime minister just hours ago.
“I am ready with my candies and my rockets and praying to Allah that Sharon dies. We have prepared a celebratory barrage of rockets ready to fire into Israel on the occasion of the death of our enemy,” said Abu Abir, spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella group of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists responsible for firing hundreds of Qassam rockets and mortars at Jewish towns.
Hamas leader Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar told WND Sharon’s condition “plunges the Israeli political scene into chaos, which could bring about an equal response from the Palestinians.”
Celebrations reportedly are underway in the Gaza Strip, with families distributing sweets and gunmen shooting into the air.
“I personally am waiting to celebrate. I have my fingers crossed,” Abu Abir said. “Sharon was one of our biggest enemies.”
Abu Abir told WND now that Olmert is serving as prime minister “he is moved up on our list of targets. We will target Olmert with a lot of might.”
Al-Zahar said he is hoping Sharon survives.
“Sharon’s new party Kadima was good for us. They made clear in no uncertain terms that part of their platform was more withdrawals from the West Bank and from Jerusalem. His passing from the political scene now places all of that in jeopardy. We don’t know what are the policies of Olmert. Whether he supports giving us the West Bank and Jerusalem.”