Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal called for reconciliation among Palestinian factions but offered a singular vision that does not recognize Israel and remains committed to armed struggle.
Meshaal, in exile for 45 years before visiting Gaza this week, spoke on the 25th anniversary of the founding of Hamas.
Reconciliation was a key theme. He called for a singular Palestinian leadership led by the PLO, but he was unbending in his support of Hamas' goals.
"Palestine is ours from the river to the sea, from the north to the south," Meshaal said. "It is our right, our homeland. We will not give up any inch or any part of it."
The Hamas leader's provocative speech came two weeks after a bloody fight with Israel that left the group energized and emboldened.
The goal of Hamas is an Islamic fundamentalist Palestinian state. Its manifesto advocates the destruction of the state of Israel and calls for the raising of "the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine."
Israel, the United States and other Western countries label Hamas a terrorist organization. The United States also has listed Meshaal as a terrorist since 2003.
Meshaal spoke to a packed crowd that waved green Hamas flags, but the leader spoke of wider unity under the Palestine Liberation Organization, chaired by Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas' Fatah movement and Hamas have often been at odds politically and militarily following Hamas' electoral victories in Gaza.
Abbas, who is the president of the Palestinian Authority, has sought to advance a Palestinian state through diplomatic means, most recently by securing an upgrade at the United Nations for his people to nonmember observer state.
"The jihad and military resistance is the road and is the real and correct way to liberate Palestine," he said.
Political, diplomatic and legal struggles are necessary, he said, but they all follow military efforts.
Meshaal, who has led Hamas from exile since 2004, was making his first visit to Gaza and his first to the Palestinian territories in 45 years. He left the Palestinian West Bank in 1967 at the age of 11 after Israel moved into the territory during the Six-Day War. Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attempted to assassinate him in 1997.
If there existed a peaceful path to a Palestinian state, Hamas would follow that path, but it is not an option, Meshaal said.
He described the recent eight-day conflict with Israel, where rocket attacks were met with Israeli airstrikes and which ended with a cease-fire, as a victory for Hamas in Gaza.
Meshaal also was unequivocal that while he seeks Palestinian unity, Hamas would not shift its position on not recognizing Israel.
A Palestinian state should never have to recognize what Hamas considers to be an occupying power, he said.
Lionel Messi continues to add to his list of records with Gerd Müller and César Rodríguez the latest greats to be surpassed by the Argentinian, who scored twice for FC Barcelona.
After setting yet more footballing landmarks by surpassing Gerd Müller's haul for club and country in a calendar year and becoming FC Barcelona's record goalscorer in Liga games, forward Lionel Messi insisted that "personal objectives are secondary" to those of the team.
The Argentinian was a solitary strike away from reaching former FC Bayern München and West Germany striker Müller's 85-goal mark – set in 1972 – prior to last Wednesday's UEFA Champions League meeting with SL Benfica. However, a knee problem sustained in the scoreless draw at Camp Nou threatened to scupper Messi's record-breaking attempt with four games remaining before the year's end.
After his club announced the 25-year-old was merely suffering with a bruised knee, however, Messi quickly recovered to post both goals in his team's 2-1 Liga win away to Real Betis Balompié to take his total to 86 goals for Barcelona and Argentina in 2012. "I was eager to play after the fright I suffered the other day," the 2012 FIFA Ballon D'Or contender explained.
"The record is important because of what it stands for but what's crucial is that the team won at a difficult venue and that we have maintained our lead over the chasing pack," he continued. "When we start the year, the goal is to win everything as a team – personal objectives are secondary."
Along with overtaking Müller's record, Messi registered his 192nd goal in Liga, taking him past César Rodríguez's previous club best of 190 set in the 1940s and 1950s. The Argentinian eclipsed César's 232-goal, all-time club record last March and has since raised his tally to 283. The Barça youth-team product also holds the record for most goals in a Liga season (50) while his 15-hat-tricks is also a club landmark.
A three-time UEFA Champions League winner, Messi sets the standard in that tournament for most goals in a single campaign (14) while he has also been the competition's top scorer for an unprecedented four straight seasons. No other player, meanwhile, can boast of having scored five goals in a single UEFA Champions League game as Messi did against Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the 2011/12 round of 16.
With 192 top-flight goals and counting, the Argentinian continues to chip away at the legendary Athletic Club Bilbao forward's tally set between 1940 and 1955.
After just 15 top-flight games this term, Messi's total of 23 goals is already one more than he managed at the half-way point in Liga last season.
Messi's double in last October's 2-2 draw against Barça's rivals Real Madrid CF moved him to within one of Di Stéfano's mark.
Gareth Barry admits he has settled into life with Everton quicker than he did at parent club Manchester City.
Barry has joined the Toffees on a season-long loan following the summer arrival of Fernandinho at the Etihad Stadium in a bid to get more playing time.
And he has revealed the adjustment from Manchester to Merseyside has been quicker than he expected, and much quicker than he experienced when he signed for City.
When asked if the move had been more comfortable than first imagined, Barry told the club’s official website: “I think it probably has.
“It’s only the second transfer in my career. Certainly at City it took me a lot longer to feel part of the team and part of the club but here it has felt that bit different.
“Everybody has welcomed me in and the manager has suited my style, so I think that played a big part in me fitting straight in. Obviously positive results help as well.
Despite the departure of long-serving manager David Moyes, Everton have started the Premier League season impressively, losing just one match to City in the absence of the ineligible Barry.
The Toffees will look to continue their good run when they face Hull this weekend at Goodison Park and the 32-year-old expects a tough game against the in-form Tigers.
“I’ve seen a couple of their performances and they have been really solid at the back. At the same time they have caused problems for teams when going forward.
“We’ve got to be really wary and not get too confident because people can get carried away and think this is a more-than-winnable game.