Ramadan Shalah, Islamic Jihad terrorist organization chief, says Israel's withdrawal from Gaza stems directly from Palestinian terrorism - and that more of the same can be expected all over Israel.

"We will intensify the attacks even within the Green Line," Shalah told Al Manar Television last night. He said, however, that the attacks would resume only after Israel had completed destroying all the Jewish communities in Gaza and north Shomron.



Shalah said that terrorism is the only way to "liberate Palestinian land" from Israel.



At a rally in Gaza yesterday, another leading Islamic Jihad terrorist said, "The Israelis understand only force. Because of our force, Israel ran away from Lebanon, and because of our force, we are succeeding in getting rid of Israel from the Gaza Strip... There is no room here for the State of Israel. We are continuing forward until our dream is fulfilled."



Shalah's remarks confirm that which other terrorist leaders told Palestinian Authority chief Abu Mazen earlier this week. Abu Mazen delivered a speech, broadcast over the PA media, calling upon his local terrorist groups to refrain from attacks during the disengagement process. He explained that they could thus prove to the world that "the Palestinians are a cultured nation."



In response, however, the terrorists said that they would not cease terrorism, because Ariel Sharon's retreat plan proves the value of terrorism to the Arab cause. "Without the Kassams, Israel would not have thought of leaving Israel," they told Abu Mazen.



Signs at the Gaza rally repeated the theme mentioned last week by PA bigwig Abu Ala: "Today - Gaza, tomorrow - the West Bank and Jerusalem."