• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Palestinian Hamas Leaders Warn Palestinian Authority Against Targeting It

Posted on: Saturday, 20 August 2005, 09:00 CDT

Text of report by Walid Awad in Ramallah: "Hamas discloses to Al- Quds al-Arabi it has information and documents proving that a decision has been made by influential parties in the Palestinian National Authority, PNA, to target Hamas's activists after Israel's withdrawal from Gaza,", published by London-based newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi on 19 August

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, told Al-Quds al-Arabi yesterday that it has information and documents confirming that influential parties in the Palestinian [National] Authority [PNA] have decided to target Hamas Movement's activists after the completion of the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Sami Abu-Zuhri, Spokesman for the Hamas Movement, said: "Yes, we have information and documents about these plans and the parties that prepared them." He added: "It is clear that there are influential figures in the PNA who act in favour of foreign parties and who contemplate targeting the Hamas Movement."

It is to be recalled that the PNA insists on disarming the military wings of the Palestinian resistance groups while these groups declare their absolute rejection of the dissolution of their military wings and the handing over of their weapons to the PNA on grounds that Israel still occupies Palestinian territories, notwithstanding its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The Hamas Movement's political and military leaderships earlier declared their absolute rejection of dissolving the Izz-al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas Movement's military wing, handing over its weapons to the PNA, or its members' joining the Palestinian security apparatuses.

Abu-Zuhri warned against targeting the Hamas Movement saying: "We remind [everyone] that matters are now different from and have gone beyond the 1996 stage, in reference to the targeting of the Hamas Movement and its leaders in that year by the Palestinian security agencies. It is worth noting that the Hamas Movement's leadership constantly affirms that the 1996 phase will absolutely not be repeated, alluding to the stringent measures that the PNA had taken against the Hamas Movement leaders and members in that year. Abu- Zuhri called on these Palestinian parties, which he refused to name, to reconsider their approach, thinking, and decisions about targeting the Hamas Movement. He pointed out that the parties he means are influential in the PNA and have the capability and have made the decision to target Hamas. He noted that when he talks of influential parities in the PNA, he does not mean that a decision has been made by the PNA as an entity, but by "particular, specific parties in the PNA that are concerned with this issue."

Abu-Zuhri underlined that those who stand behind the plan targeting Hamas after completion of the Israel withdrawal from the Gaza Strip are parties that are influential in the Palestinian leadership's decision-making process, refusing to name them. He said: "Apart from naming parties, yes, we have information about documents and the parties that prepared them." He added: "When we say documents, we hope that they will remain mere papers and that matter will not reach the point of translating these papers into action on the ground."

Meanwhile, Isma'il Abu-Haniyah, one of the Hamas Movement leaders, said at a meeting with members the University Professors League in Gaza that Hamas has managed to obtain secret documents showing that the Palestinian security forces will target Hamas members after completion of the Israeli withdrawal. He noted that Hamas has obtained secret documents dealing with Palestinian security preparations targeting Hamas after completion of the Israeli withdrawal. He did not give any clarifications about these documents. He said: "Hamas's priorities for now are: First, to protect the national constants; second, to protect the resistance project; third, to protect national unity, and fourth, to strengthen political partnership."

Haniyah stressed that there should be no political or security price for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, voicing his fear that the goal of the Palestinian-Israeli security meetings might be intended to protect Israel's security.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

More News in this Category