By Xinhua
Gaza : Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement on Tuesday said recent meetings between its leaders and Egyptian officials were not aiming at protecting the leaders from being targeted by Israel.
Rebutting the reports saying that the recent talks betweenEgyptian officials and Palestinian factions were held in exchange for Israel’s refraining from targeting the Palestinian leaders,Khaled al-Batsh, a Gaza-based official of the movement, said that “the leaders’ blood was not dearer than the blood of any ordinary member of the Islamic Jihad.”
He failed to specify whether his movement was committed to a ceasefire with vague words of “the Islamic Jihad did not seek or request the truce.”
Backed by the United States, Egypt tries to reinforce a ceasefire in Gaza following deadly Israeli army operations in theHamas-ruled territory.
Al-Batsh endorsed Hamas’ vision that the calmness should include the lift of the Gaza siege which Israel has imposed since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave by force in last June.