Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, one of Hamas's leaders in Gaza, said that "removing the Jews from the land they occupied in 1948 is an immutable principle" appearing in the Quran, and said: "Our position is: Palestine in its entirety, and not a grain of soil less." Speaking on Al-Aqsa TV on March 8, Al-Zahhar advised Hamas and the Islamic Jihad never to mention the 1967 borders, as "this becomes like part of a joint plan."
Mahmoud Al-Zahhar: "Allah says (in the Quran): 'And drive them out from wherever they have driven you out.' How do the linguists interpret the word 'from'? The Quran talks about driving you out 'from where they have driven you out.' From where did the Jews drives us out? From within the 1967 borders or the 1948 borders? From within the 1948 borders. So you should drive them out from within the 1948 borders, like they drove you out. Hence, removing the Jews from the land they occupied in 1948 is an immutable principle, because it appears in the Book of Allah. 'Drive them out from wherever they have driven you out.' So in light of this verse, we say that our dispute with the Palestinian factions that talk about the 1967 borders is one pertaining to faith. On this issue, we base ourselves upon our religion, while you do not.
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"(The Quran says:) 'They will enter the mosque as they entered it the first time.' Entering the mosque means entering the capital, and entering the capital means liberating Palestine in its entirety, and the implementation of the decree: 'Drive them out from wherever they have driven you out.'
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"Let me advise our brothers and sisters from the Islamic movement – from Hamas and Islamic Jihad – never to use the term '1967 (borders).' When the 1967 borders are mentioned, and then we make certain exceptions, saying, 'so long as we don't relinquish...' and so on, this becomes like part of a joint plan. We have liberated Gaza, part of Palestine, but I am not prepared to accept just Gaza, and later... Our position is: Palestine in its entirety, and not a grain of soil less. (The Quran says:) 'Kill them wherever you may find them' – Allah did not define the 1967 borders or the 1948 borders. We will fight them wherever we can – on the ground, underground, and if we have airplanes, we will fight them from the skies."
