By NNN-KUNA,
Gaza : The mainstream Palestinian organisation Hamas has vowed to remain committed to “jihad” (holy war) and pursue the resistance against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Hamas, in a statement Thursday on the occasion of the 1967 “naksa” (setback) when Israel occupied east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Golan Heights, expressed staunch opposition to peace negotiations with Israel and accused President Mahmoud Abbas of being involved in “fruitless negotiations with the Zionist occupation” at the expense of basic national principles.
The fundamentalist group warned Abbas’ leadership of being “dragged into negotiations that would result in partial and vague solutions that would not include recognition of the basic rights of the Palestinian people.”
Hamas also pledged to do “whatever necessary” to secure release of thousands of Palestinian and Arab prisoners held by Israel.
The militant group took over the Gaza Strip after bitter fighting against the other maintream Palestinian organisation, Fatah, in June 2007. Since then, there has been a series of bids to try to reconcile the Palestinian ranks.
Abbas and close aides have been involved in talks with the Israeli leaders on issues of dissenssion such as determining final status of Jerusalem, border demarcation, water sharing, destiny of Palestinians in diaspora and border demarcation.
The president and officials in his administraion are viewed as much more pragmatic than Hamas leaders regarding means of ending the Israeli occupation, with the Islamists deeply convinced that military means are necessary to attain liberation.