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Hamas will continue "the resistance until the end of the (Israeli) occupation," says Meshal
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GAZA
CITY, November 16 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - An Islamic Jihad
official said Saturday, November 16, there was no relation between its
shooting attack in Al-Khalil (Hebron) on Friday, November 15, and
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction's dialogue with
Hamas to halt attacks against Israeli civilians.
"There
is no relation between our operation and the ongoing dialogue between
Hamas and Fatah," Islamic Jihad political leader in Gaza, Mohammed
al-Hindi, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"Considering
the nature of the Hebron attack, it is obvious it had been planned long
before the dialogue started and shows our commitment to continuing the
resistance against the Israeli occupation," he said.
Twelve
Israelis were killed, including nine soldiers and policemen and three
settlers, in the Friday evening attack.
Asked
whether Jihad would abide by a ceasefire if a deal were struck between
Hamas and Fatah, al-Hindi replied: "The Palestinian Authority (PA)
has always called for a halt to operations within the 1948 borders
(Israel), not inside the West Bank and Gaza.
"According
to the information we have, Hamas and Fatah said it was the right of the
Palestinian people to resist Israel's occupation of our land," he
said, referring to the only public document put out by Hamas and Fatah
in Cairo.
But
a Fatah source told AFP a proposal providing for an end to "suicide
operations inside Israel and attacks against civilians for several
months," had been discussed there and endorsed by Arafat's faction.
He
did not specify whether the term "civilian" included Jewish
settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, whom Palestinian groups often
describe as legitimate targets, together with soldiers, in their
struggle against occupation.
Hamas
has claimed the majority of attacks against Israelis since the beginning
of the 25-month-long Palestinian Intifada.
Al-Hindi
said his group would continue "resisting with all possible means
until the occupation stops."
He
also said "there is no demand from the PA or Fatah for us to stop
our attacks and no dialogue going on between us.
"We
do, however, meet regularly with the various Palestinian factions."
Earlier
today, Jihad said its ambushes on Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers
in the West Bank were in revenge for Israel's killing their leader in
Jenin.
A
Jihad statement received by AFP said "our operation came in
response to the assassination in Jenin of the martyr chief Iyad Sawalha
and to the Zionist crimes targeting our towns, villages and camps."
Among
the Israelis killed were two army officers, including Hebron Brigade
Commander Colonel
Dror Weinberg, 38, a Border police officer, two soldiers, four
Border Police troops and three settlers.
The
statement added "our jihad (holy war) will continue, our operations
will continue and candidates for martyrdom are ready."
Jihad
claimed the attack shortly afterwards in a telephone call to AFP.
Sawalha,
32, was killed on November 9, at the end of a two-week Israeli army
sweep of Jenin.
Hamas
political chief Khaled Meshal denied that his movement was considering
halting attacks and accused Israel of rejecting "initiatives"
to arrive at a truce on the issue, in an interview published Saturday.
"Hamas'
position has not changed and it consists of continuing the resistance
until the end of the (Israeli) occupation," Meshal told the
Arabic-language daily Asharq Al-Awsat.
"Is
it logical to raise the banner of submission and to halt the resistance
at a time when the occupation forces invade Gaza, Nablus and
Tulkarem?" he asked.
He
was commenting on press reports that Fatah was attempting to convince
Hamas to halt attacks against inside Israel during talks in Cairo
earlier this week.
Meshal
dismissed the reports as "Israeli rumors, notably because it was
the Israeli media that was the first to speak about this."
As
for halting the attacks, Meshal said his movement has "put this
aside after Israel responded negatively to Hamas initiatives on the
question."
He
said the deal would have been achieved "in return for a halt of
Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians and a withdrawal from the
territories," reoccupied by Israel since mid-June.
The
Hamas official said the proposal had only been verbal.
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