Official: Hamas forces join fight against IS in Damascus refugee camp

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- An official in the support network for the Palestinian refugee camps in Syria said Sunday that a Hamas-affiliated group is fighting the Islamic State in Damascus' Yarmouk refugee camp.

Ayman Abu Hashem told Ma'an that the Aknaf Bayt al-Maqdes group was fighting IS despite a decision by PLO factions to remain neutral in the Syrian civil war.

Abu Hashem said that the group was once among the biggest armed groups in the camp, before becoming weakened in recent weeks. Only a few dozen remain fighting, he said.

But Farouk al-Rifai, a spokesman for the Palestinian civil society network in Syria, told Ma'an that Aknaf Bayt al-Maqdes fighters were joining some civilians in defending the camp.

He explained that there were 1,500 IS fighters stationed near Yarmouk who were surrounded by the Syrian army before they received reinforcements and 700 IS fighters managed to enter the camp.

Both Abu Hashem and al-Rifai said they had documented three beheadings in the camp, while three others were executed by shooting and 70 Palestinian refugees were apprehended for opposing IS.

The camp has also been targeted by Syrian regime airstrikes, as over 16 barrel bombs were dropped on it on Saturday alone, the officials reported.

Evacuation

Earlier Sunday, a Palestinian official said that around 2,000 people had been evacuated from Yarmouk after IS seized large parts of it.

"Around 400 families, approximately 2,000 people, were able to leave the camp on Friday and Saturday via two secure roads to the Zahira district, which is under army control," said Anwar Abdul Hadi, a Palestine Liberation Organization official.

Abdul Hadi said Syrian troops had helped in the evacuation, which came as Palestinian forces battled to hold back IS fighters who have captured large swathes of the camp since Wednesday.

He said most of those evacuated from the camp were being hosted in government shelters, with at least 25 wounded taken to two hospitals in Damascus.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, confirmed that "hundreds" of people had been evacuated from the camp.

The group said at least 26 people, including civilians as well as fighters from IS and Palestinian factions, had been killed in the camp since Wednesday.

Yarmouk, in south Damascus, was once home to 160,000 people, Syrians as well as Palestinians.

But its population has dwindled to just 18,000 since the uprising erupted in March 2011.

The camp is encircled by government forces and was under a tight siege for more than a year.

An agreement last year between rebels and the government, backed by Palestinian factions, led to an easing of the siege, but humanitarian access has remained limited.

IS fighters attacked the camp on Wednesday, and were initially largely repelled, but were subsequently able to capture large parts of it.

Palestinian officials have accused Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front of helping IS to enter the camp.

http://www.maannews.com/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=760310

The people is Yarmouk are suffering terribly, so many children dead. Always the children.

The conditions in Yarmouk are already horrifying

Well, HAMAS is Iran, so...

Don't be ridiculous. They are fighting because the people who are being killed in Yarmouk are Palestinians. Israel on the other hand are treating IS who are wounded and sending them back to behead people.

I am not as knowledgeable as you about this round, but HAMAS is Iran. Iran, which is Shi'ia, is now opposing, if not fighting Sunnis in Yemen and Syria. So it comes as no surprise if Hamas joins Iran.

Quill, I'm sorry but you are talking out your hat. Hamas went to help the Palestinians when IS invaded the camp, where they are already being barrell bombed by Assad and starved to death literally because Assad will not allow food aid through, now they have the water pipeline cut.

A child from Yarmouk



There are approximately 18,000 people trapped there, less by now because so many have either been blown up or starved to death. Hamas are not only fighting IS but they are trying to get people out.

http://www.unrwa.org/crisis-in-yarmouk

risingsun wrote:Quill, I'm sorry but you are talking out your hat.  Hamas went to help the Palestinians when IS invaded the camp, where they are already being barrell bombed by Assad and starved to death literally because Assad will not allow food aid through, now they have the water pipeline cut.

You are talking about the same Hamas that is Iran, aren't you?  The Hamas that fires off missiles into Israel that were made in Iran--the Iranian-built Fajr 5 and the Iranian designed M-75?  The Hamas that controls Gaza, the territory that is now replete with Iranian built tunnels, bunkers and underground missile launch pads?  This is the Hamas that recently launched Iranian built drones over Israel, is it not?  Those things would not be possible were Iran not funneling almost $300-million annually into Gaza.

So yes, I think Iran's enemy is Hamas' enemy, and Hamas' enemy is Iran's enemy.

lol if ever anyone wanted further proof Sassy supports Hamas a terrorist organisation, then there you have it and she seeks to gain support for them because they are taking on ISIS?
Seriously the lefties are as idiotic as they come, as does she then back that they deny Israeli self determination, commits war crimes against Israel and has laws that goes against the well being and equality of others?
Sassy the true commie who backs Islamic extremism

Hey didge...Let her have her say.  We weren't discussing sass, just who is Hamas these days.  I have to confess, I had to look around to see what Hamas is doing lately...to see if it had changed direction or gone independent.

The way we learn is to air some of these things.

Original Quill wrote:Hey didge...Let her have her say.  We weren't discussing sass, just who is Hamas these days.  I have to confess, I had to look around to see what Hamas is doing lately...to see if it had changed direction or gone independent.

The way we learn is to air some of these things.

Best you speak to her on that because she is the one to decide on placing on ignore, so the ball is on her court in regards to that.
Second it has everything to do with the poster when I have proven beyond doubt she is a Jew hater.
To even consider Hamas as anything as progressive you only need to look at how it treats its own citizens, from child abuse indoctrinating them with hate to glorifying they die in martyrdom, the later a very fundemental part of Islam. The abuse of women in society and discrmination against non-Muslim faiths. The fact they have never rescinded the Charter a massive fundemental factor required for their to ever be peace in the region. I could go on the list is endless, but if you wish to create a nation which is based on backward principles that goes against the equality and well being of the people of Palestine, you then go against your own Liberal principles, which as proven Sassy has none as she backs this group and does not seem them as terrorist but liberators of all the lands including Israel. If Hamas mean and want peace they have to adopt secular views as part of their laws and recognise Israel as a nation wanting peace, it is as simple as that.
So if you want to give this terrorist supporting Jew hater a platform, be my guest, but I will not sit by allowing her hate to go unanswered and will counter any bile she comes out with.

I tend to be critical of Hamas, as well.  But I would hope that there is some middle ground on which I may disagree with sass, without personally condemning her as you do.

You and sassy carry as y'all wish to, but please don't mind if I occasionally clarify my position not to include the personal assaults.

Original Quill wrote:I tend to be critical of Hamas, as well.  But I would hope that there is some middle ground on which I may disagree with sass, without personally condemning her as you do.

You and sassy carry as y'all wish to, but please don't mind if I occasionally clarify my position not to include the personal assaults.

Its a non-debate to start with when that poster refuses to condemn them on the many wrongs that they do, so how can you begin to have a conversation with someone who sticks their head in the sand ignoring that this groups is a terrorist organisation that does not even build bomb shelters for its people and instead builds tunnels to smuggle in weapons to attack Israel? Maybe you can advise to me how such a discourse is even possible? They are not insults but facts about how she is very much antisemetic and supports a terrorist group called Hamas.
She is what she is, and to me people like her need to be exposed for what she is, as her message is one of hate which does effect others, if you wish to shy away from condemning a fellow extreme lefty, I am not surprised at all, but its time people stopped pandering to a terrorist supporter, of which she is. As seen she clearly is trying to make out because Hamas is fighting ISIS, this some how makes them good. Neglecting the fact other Islamic extremists are fighting them also. It does not make any of them good. Even worse she makes unfounded claims to Israel helping ISIS based on made on media stories she buys into. That is not someone you can have a discourse over this Middle East problem, because she has been so indoctrinated she cannot think clearly for herself any more and is completely irrational on any view point here.

mine enemy's enemy is my friend?????

darknessss wrote:mine enemy's enemy is my friend?????

Both are the enemy and both need to eradicating, as both do not care for the well being and equality of others