Hamas yesterday accused Israel of interrupting its radio and television broadcasts in Gaza as Israel’s military offensive entered its second week. “The enemy is trying to break our frequencies… do not listen to this,” said a broadcast on Al-Aqsa radio.Earlier the radio’s programme was interrupted with a man’s voice speaking in Hebrew-accented Arabic: “Hamas leaders are hiding in the tunnels and are leaving you on the frontline of Israel’s Defence Forces. Hamas leaders are lying to you and they are hiding in hospitals. Launching rockets puts civilians in danger.”
Meanwhile a broadcast on Al-Aqsa television was interrupted with an image of a ringing phone that no one was answering. “Hamas leaders are hiding and they are leaving you on the front line,” says a voice in accented Arabic.
The Israeli army did not have immediate comment.
On Friday, Hamas’s political supremo Khaled Meshaal was calling on Palestinians to rise up against Israel when his picture suddenly disappeared from the Al-Aqsa TV broadcast. “Hamas has misled you and abandoned you,” a man’s voice said in Arabic. “If you call any leader of Hamas, nobody will answer.”
An Al-Aqsa official said the Israeli army was behind the spoiler interruption, which was repeated several times during the broadcast of what appeared to be a pre-recorded speech.
(Source: AFP/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)