By Xinhua
Ramallah : Gaza Strip and its 1.4 million residents became hostages held by Hamas movement, a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) said on Saturday.
Islamic Hamas movement, which seized control of the Gaza Strip in last June after routing security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas of rival Fatah, “trades in the pains and suffering of the people,” said Yasser Abed Rabbo, who is also a member of the Palestinian negotiation team.
Israel and Egypt closed their borders with the Gaza and Israel announced the territory a hostile entity due to the rocket attacks that target Israeli communities bordering the Hamas-run Gaza.
According to Abed Rabbo, Israel carried out offensive in Gaza under the pretext of curbing the rocket attacks “to turn the Palestinian territories into an open battle field and fold the file of peace process.”
Abed Rabbo called for “stopping all acts which the Israeli occupation may use as a pretext to expand the aggression on the residents,” while describing the home-made Palestinian rockets as “worthless.”
He then called on the Palestinians to abide by a fresh call by President Abbas for a mutual ceasefire, saying the call aims at easing the suffering of the people.