PRC celebrates 11th anniversary in Gaza City

The Popular Resistance Committees on Thursday held a festival in Gaza City to mark the group's 11th anniversary. The event, entitled "Return and liberation," took place at the Rashad al-Shawa cultural center and was attended by representatives of national and Islamic factions, ministers and supporters, a Ma'an correspondent reported. Hamas member of the Palestinian Legislative Council Mushir al-Masri delivered a speech praising popular resistance to "Israeli plans." "We at the Palestinian Legislative Council encourage and praise the movement of popular resistance, calling to continue in the path of jihad and resistance, and stressing the need to achieve reconciliation and unity," al-Masri said. He added: "We will establish our Palestinian state and will be holding our guns." The PRC is an umbrella group that draws together former armed activists of different factions. It was formed in the Gaza Strip in 2000 at start of the second Palestinian uprising for statehood. It counted numerous former security men from the Palestinian Authority's various security agencies among its ranks, including many disaffected members of Fatah, which has since renounced violence against Israel. It operates independently from Hamas. The group staged dozens of attacks against Israeli troops and settlers during its early years. Among the attacks it claimed was a 2003 strike against a US diplomat, that killed three security guards, and the 2004 fatal shooting of a pregnant settler and her four young daughters. In June 2006, the Israeli airforce killed PRC founder Jamal Abu Samhadana in a targeted strike in Gaza. Shortly afterward, the PRC was one of three groups that claimed responsibility for the cross-border abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. He is still believed to be in captivity in Gaza. Israel blaed the group for a recent attack in southern Israel near Egypt's border in which seven Israelis were killed. The PRC praised the attack but denied any involvement. Within hours of the assault, the Israeli airforce killed five PRC members in southern Gaza, including the leader and his lieutenant. Israel believes the group gets backing from Hezbollah.