By NNN-KUNA
Gaza : Dismissed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya has asserted that he is against the deployment of international forces in Gaza for fear that foreign authorities would control the Palestinian people.
Haniya, former prime minister of the Hamas-led government sacked by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, warned during a meeting with reporters Tuesday against bringing in such forces as it would allow external powers to interfere in the Palestinian internal affairs.
"Internal Palestinian affairs must be solved internally," Haniya said.
In recent days, Abbas has called for the deployment of international forces in the Gaza Strip to protect Palestinians and aid in the setting up of general Palestinian elections.
Meanwhile, Haniya also commented on past clashes between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza saying they were carried out from a security point of view and not a political one.
"We are not attempting to establish an Islamic state inside Gaza, which is part of the Palestinian territory," Haniya added.
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