DATE=  10/6/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-220906

TITLE=GAZA / HAMAS (L)

BYLINE=AL PESSIN

DATELINE=GAZA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:  THE SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE MILITANT PALESTINIAN GROUP 

HAMAS, SHEIKH AHMED YASSIN, MADE A TRIUMPHAL RETURN TO GAZA 

MONDAY TO CHEERS AND CALLS FOR UNITY ... AND ALSO TO SPECULATION 

ABOUT HIS IMPACT ON THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT.  V-O-A'S AL

PESSIN REPORTS FROM GAZA.



TEXT:  



                    ///CHANTING ACTUALITY///



THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS CROWDED INTO THE MAIN GAZA SOCCER STADIUM

TO WELCOME THE SHEIKH WITH WAR CHANTS FROM THE PALESTINIAN 

UPRISING.  AFTER A CALL FOR UNITY BY A SENIOR PALESTINIAN 

OFFICIAL, THE CROWD GOT WHAT IT HAD COME FOR. 



               ///FIRST YASSIN ARABIC ACTUALITY///



WITH THE SHEIKH'S VOICE WEAKENED BY ILLNESS AND PARALYSIS, HIS 

WORDS WERE REPEATED BY ANOTHER MAN AS THE CROWD GREW QUIET TO 

LISTEN.  THE SHEIKH MAINLY AVOIDED POLITICS AT HIS HOMECOMING, 

SAYING HE WAS MOVED TO TEARS BY THE SIGHT OF SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE

AT THE STADIUM.  BUT EARLIER, IN AMMAN, HE STRUCK A DEFIANT TONE.



              ///SECOND YASSIN ARABIC ACTUALITY///



SHEIKH YASSIN TOLD REPORTERS THERE CAN BE NO CEASE-FIRE WITH 

ISRAEL UNTIL THE OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE DISAPPEARS.



ALTHOUGH THE SHEIKH SPOKE OF UNITY, SUCH MILITANT STATEMENTS PUT 

HIM AT ODDS WITH THE PALESTINIAN LEADER, YASSER ARAFAT, AND HIS 

AUTONOMY AUTHORITY, WHICH WAS SET UP WHILE SHEIKH YASSIN WAS IN 

PRISON.  THERE IS MUCH SPECULATION ABOUT THE FUTURE COOPERATION 

OR COMPETITION BETWEEN THE SHEIKH AND MR. ARAFAT, WHO DID NOT 

ATTEND THE SHEIKH'S ARRIVAL MONDAY AS HAD BEEN EXPECTED.



VETERAN PALESTINIAN DIPLOMAT NABIL SHAATH SAYS THE DEVELOPMENTS 

OF RECENT DAYS -- ISRAEL'S BOTCHED ATTACK ON A HAMAS LEADER IN 

AMMAN AND THE SUBSEQUENT RELEASE OF SHEIKH YASSIN AND OTHER 

PRISONERS -- HAVE NOT HELPED THE MODERATES' POSITION. 



                     ///SHAATH ACTUALITY///



         THE LEADERSHIP OF HAMAS, ALL OF IT IN AMMAN NOW, CLAIMS 

         THAT ISRAEL IS RELEASING TO JORDAN THE LEADERS OF HAMAS,

         WHILE THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY IS ARRESTING THEM IN 

         GAZA BECAUSE OF THE REQUEST OF THE ISRAELI AUTHORITY.  

         THIS CREATES A FANTASTIC DILEMMA THAT CANNOT



         BUT DESTROY REAL CONFIDENCE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE 

         PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY. 



                       ///END ACTUALITY///



HAMAS LEADERS WERE TRYING TO STRIKE A CONCILIATORY TONE.  BUT OUT

IN THE CROWD AT THE SOCCER STADIUM, SENIOR HAMAS LEADER MAHMOUD 

AZ-ZAHAR SAID THE SHEIKH'S RETURN WILL STRENGTHEN THE GROUP IN 

ITS CALLS FOR A TOUGHER APPROACH TO ISRAEL, INCLUDING VIOLENCE.



                    ///AZ-ZAHAR ACTUALITY///



         IT GIVES A HINT ABOUT THE POPULARITY OF HAMAS IN THE 

         PRESENT SITUATION. 



          (PESSIN): SO THIS WILL STRENGTHEN HAMAS IN PALESTINIAN 

         SOCIETY? 



         (AZ-ZAHAR) OF COURSE, OF COURSE.



                       ///END ACTUALITY///



DR. AZ-ZAHAR WOULD NOT SAY WHETHER THAT MEANS MORE ATTACKS ON 

ISRAEL.  BUT SHEIKH YASSIN TOLD HIS AMMAN NEWS CONFERENCE IF THE 

PALESTINIAN PEOPLE CANNOT ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS PEACEFULLY, THEY 

WILL DO WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO. 



                         ///REST OPT///



FROM THE SOCCER STADIUM, AS DARKNESS FELL, SHEIKH YASSIN WAS 

TAKEN HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 10 YEARS, WHERE A WELCOME

CELEBRATION AWAITED HIM THAT HAD BEGUN IN EARLY MORNING.



               ///MUSIC AND CHANTING ACTUALITY///



(SIGNED)



NEB/AWP/RRM



06-Oct-97 4:43 PM EDT (2043 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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