..."The aim of this step is to establish Islamic culture and an ideological, scientific and political vision that is in tandem with the spirit of Islam, and to spread information about important issues," Fathi Hamad, a Hamas leader in Gaza, told reporters.

A picture of the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City, one of Islam's holiest shrines, filled the screen for most of the day.

Hamas says it wants Al Aqsa Television, the first private station in Gaza, to be higher-tech and more modern than most stodgy, state-run Arab stations.

It will try to look like Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV, which has reporters throughout the Middle East, including Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. When Hezbollah attacks Israeli targets, Al Manar often broadcasts images of the strike...