Salah Shehada gave a number of interviews over the past two years of his life. Some were to international media and others to local media as well as Al-Qassam web site. Here are selected parts of these interviews:

1- You are credited as being one of the founders of Hamas. And you are credited with establishing Hamas’ military branch. Can you tell us about the beginning of Hamas and the military branch?

About the military branch, there was a simple military branch for the Muslim Brotherhood in the Gaza Strip. It was not complex as was the status of the movement back then. My relationship with the military branch was in towards the end of 1983 and till my detention on 26 June 1984. After I came out of prison in 1986, I met Sheikh Ahmad Yasin and we agreed to rebuild the military branch under the name “Al-Mujahidoon Al-Filistiniyoon.” This apparatus continued till 1989; while I was imprisoned on 18 August 1988. Afterwards, the military branch developed under the guidance of Allah Almighty then the sincere efforts of Hamas’ sons.

2- Ya’acov Perry, the former head of the Shin Bet, states in a book that he interrogated you personally. He says that they were convinced that you didn’t exhaust all the military capacity in your work; and that throughout the 12 years of your detention, you were issuing orders to operatives. What are your comments on that? And can you tell us about your detention and how it affected you?

With reference to Ya’acov Perry, I didn’t know during the interrogations who were the interrogators. They all lied and claimed to be high-ranking people. He may have interrogated me without me recognizing him.

As to not giving them everything I knew, I didn’t have anything to give them in the first place. And under the assumption that I had something they wanted to know, we’re not friends in order for me to open my heart to them. We are enemies. We were torturer and victim.

They were wrong in their assessment about me giving orders to operatives outside the prison. The reason being that they don’t need instructions from someone separated from the realities on the ground. I spent years in solitary confinement. How can I manage a military apparatus in that situation? How can I manage a military apparatus when I’m not in contact with anyone? What he said was just an excuse to keep me detained for an additional 26 months after my sentence finished.

Concerning my detention, I was interrogated for more than a year over three periods: from 1 September 1988 till 26 January 1989, then for 200 straight days starting 14 May 1989 and for 22 days in July and August 1992. The relationship was that between a person with rights and the usurper of those rights. If I can summarize this experience, it is by saying, “It is forbidden a thousand times to trust your enemy for a split second. You have to distrust his motives and actions. You have to be on guard and careful.” In addition, the detention experience should be utilized to improve the confrontation techniques and psychological and educational preparedness.

3- What is the relationship between Hamas’ military branch and political bureau?

We are the soldiers of the military branch. The political doesn’t give us orders about operations. However the vision of the political bureau guides the military branch without getting involved in military work.

4- What are your comments about the saying that the persons who conduct martyrdom operations are “killers and suicidal?”

To say that the people that carry out martyrdom operations are killers and are suicidal is pure lying and idiotic. Is there anything dearer to sacrifice for the cause other than the body and life? These martyrs are those who salute Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions before entering paradise. If these people that say such fabrications only read the wills of these martyrs, they’ll know that true life is martyrdom.

5- What would you say to Muslims and to your supporters?

To the Muslim world and to our supporters I say that we are in urgent need of you to go out in the street and only express your opinion that you support the option of resistance and jihad till the end of the occupation. The demonstrations and protests against the occupation’s crimes are important in order for the world to know that the mujahideen are not a minority rebelling against the majority. The occupation wants to isolate the mujahideen from the masses. And they fear the bond between the masses and the mujahideen.

I also ask our brothers and sisters and supporters to contribute their resources and to work towards facilitating the entry of weapons to Palestine. Here the cost of a 7.62 mm bullet for a Klashnikov is $3.00 and $2.00 for a 5.56 mm bullet. Any anti-aircraft defenses and anti-armor weapons are not available or are available at an astronomical price.

We need you to contribute your money and weapons, or to facilitate the entry of weapons to Palestine. We are spearheading the defense of Al-Aqsa and Palestine.

6- How much does it cost to prepare a martyr?

The cost depends on the type of operation. An operation involving an attack with automatic weapons costs the price of the rifle, 250 bullets and about 10 grenades. However, some operations require other costs such as transportation and facilitating entry to some areas and other logistics. Generally operations cost between $3500 and $50000 dollars.

7- How Does Al-Qassam Brigades choose a military target?

We have our military intelligence cells to monitor the activities of occupation forces and settlers. We try to take advantage of any loophole in the security apparatus of the enemy. Afterwards, we select the target and design a plan of attack. After monitoring the target and photographing it, the military activity panel studies the target and plan and gives the final approval. Then the execution group is trained to conduct the operation. This way, the work is carried out by experts on different stages.

8- What is the criteria of a selecting any target? And what do you say about killing civilians?

We do not deliberately target children, the elderly or houses of worship despite them being houses that teach hatred against Muslims. We do not target schools and do not order the killing of children. We do not target hospitals although they are easy targets for us. We do not fight Jews because they are Jews. We fight them because they occupy our land. We don’t fight them for their faith but for taking our land. And if children fall during operations, it is beyond our control.

9- How do you rate the success of an operation?

Success is not measured by the number of dead enemies. It is measured by reaching the target, executing the operational plan and successful planning. The results are predestined by the Will of Allah Almighty.

10- What are the most difficult obstacles facing the military branch of Hamas?

First is the lack of strategic weapons such as anti-aircraft rockets and long range surface-to-surface rockets.

Second is the foggy state of the PNA political agenda. This uncertainty disrupts military work. The PNA hasn’t decided its policy regarding military work. It hasn’t decided if it is an authority of liberation or an authority of limited autonomy.

Third pursuing the mujahideen by some Palestinian security branches at the hands of members affiliated with the occupation. This includes targeting workshops and arresting those who assist in manufacturing weapons. They are arrested and interrogated. Their files reach the enemy through spies infiltrating these security branches.

Fourth is the high cost of purchasing weapons. An M-16 costs about $5000 dollars and an AK-47 about $2000 dollars. Ammunition is very expensive and reaches as high as $5 dollars per bullet.