Tel Aviv just the start for Hamas

In an interview with The Australian, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the targeting of Tel Aviv by rockets from Gaza over the past week had surprised "the occupation", his name for Israel.

"For the first time we have said clearly we will hit more cities in Israel," he said. "The occupation maybe believed we were not going to do that. We surprised them."

The interview, conducted before a bomb attack on a bus in Tel Aviv and the announcement of a ceasefire, confirms Hamas has decided it will use its new long-range missiles when it suits.

Mr Barhoum said it was now an option for the Qassam Brigades to target Tel Aviv. "If they are determined to kill more civilians we will hit any area in Israel," he said. "If they hit more and more Palestinians in Gaza, the Qassam Brigades will hit Tel Aviv more and more in order to oppose the occupation."

His comments also indicate Hamas believes it is in a stronger position to push for a Palestinian state due to the changes in the Middle East since the Arab Spring.

"All of these changes are fully supportive of the Palestinians' right to resistance and they will support any Palestinian right to lift our blockade," he said. "Now you have all of these delegations coming to Gaza to support us."

This was a reference to countries and organisations that have shown much more willingness to support Hamas, particularly Egypt, under its Muslim Brotherhood government; Qatar, which recently announced funding of $US254 million ($244m) worth of projects; Turkey and the Arab League. Asked what the new circumstances meant for Mahmoud Abbas, leader of Hamas's rival in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority, Mr Barhoum said: "Unfortunately until now Mahmoud Abbas has been unable to take any firm resistance against the occupation."

On this week's death toll - much higher for the Palestinians than the Israelis - Mr Barhoum said: "Every time we have lost hundreds of civilians from any war in Gaza. We expect more and more civilians will be killed by the occupation."

Mr Barhoum denied Hamas rockets endangered civilians, claiming this was "self defence".

Speaking later at a press conference, he defended Hamas's firing of rockets from residential areas, a practice Israel has said amounts to war crimes as it uses civilians as "human shields".

"We have nothing, so we must," he said.

He said Hamas had used "a new kind of resistance" this month.

"We have strengthened our internal situation. We fight together now on the ground. New weapons have been used in this war."