New Hamas Head Rantisssi: All Israeli Adults Are Not Civilians

Key Hamas official Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi interview with NEWSWEEK's Dan
Ephron
July 24 2002 http://www.msnbc.com/news/785094.asp?cp1=1

[IMRA: Rantissi is now the head of Hamas in place of Yassin.]

Q: What do you mean? How does Hamas define civilians?

A: An Israeli civilian is someone who never took part in the fighting. If he
participated in the fighting in the past, years ago, he is not a civilian.
That's why Israelis are still pursuing the Germans who took part in the
Holocaust, though some of these people are in their 80s. They are still
considered soldiers.

Q: So you consider all Israeli men combatants because they at one time or
another served in the army and do reserve duty?

A: Yes.

Q: What about Israeli women?

A: Most Israeli women served in the army.

Q: According to these criteria, what percentage of the Israeli population do
you consider combatants?

A: The majority. We choose military targets. If civilians are liable to die,
that isn't a reason to stop the attack. But we don't set out to kill
civilians.