By Xinhua
Gaza : The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza on Monday slammed the conference held in Paris to bolster the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) led by modest President Mahmoud Abbas.
Sami Abu Zurhi, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in a statement sent to reporters that the conference in Paris is a declaration of war against his movement, adding “the Palestinian people refuse to receive conditioned donations.”
Representatives from about 90 countries and international institutions attended the one-day meeting in Paris on Monday, which is the largest international donors conference since Paris held a similar one more than a decade ago.
With the stated purpose being to mobilize political and financial support for the emergence of a viable Palestinian state, the meeting is deemed as a key follow-up to the newly-relaunched peace process between the Palestinians and Israel.
Fawzi Barhoum, another Hamas spokesman in Gaza told reporters that Paris conference was held to serve Israel’s security interests and didn’t focus on giving the Palestinian people their legitimate rights.
Barhoum said that the conference “doesn’t support at all giving the Palestinian their legitimate rights. It is only held to give the Palestinians money in order to protect the security of Israel.”
Barhoum said that the meeting is just like the Annapolis conference held in the United States last month, which “only gives Israel credits and support, while the Palestinians getting nothing, except expansion of settlements and escalation of military incursions.”
Addressing the Paris donors conference, Abbas called on Hamas to end its Gaza takeover before resuming any dialogue.
Abbas said a total of 5.8 billion U.S. dollars is needed from the international donors to help his government with a huge deficit run up in years of strife.
Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip by force after it unseated security forces loyal to Abbas in mid June. The coastal enclave has been under a tightened Israeli siege since then.