GAZA: Gaza fighters reject current peace talks with Israel, as Hamas militants deny involvement in Egypt unrest
Record ID:
214049
GAZA: Gaza fighters reject current peace talks with Israel, as Hamas militants deny involvement in Egypt unrest
- Title: GAZA: Gaza fighters reject current peace talks with Israel, as Hamas militants deny involvement in Egypt unrest
- Date: 6th September 2013
- Summary: GAZA CITY, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 06, 2013) (REUTERS) HAMAS MILITANT DURING RALLY IN GAZA AL-QASSAM BRIGADES MARCHING THROUGH GAZA STREETS MILITANT HOLDING QURAN MILITANTS MARCHING CLOSE OF MILITANT WITH WEAPON MILITANTS MARCHING WIDE OF CONFERENCE BY AL-QASSAM BRIGADES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MASKED MILITANT FROM HAMAS, SAYING: "We did not authorize anyone to negotiate on our rights. Do we say our people are weak or the (Arab) nation is weak? We are strong because we have our rights." VARIOUS OF MILITANTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MASKED MILITANT FROM HAMAS, SAYING: "We did not have and we had no hand in what is happening and happened in Arab countries and we are innocent of every drop of blood. This is our policy and it will always remain unchanged." MASKED MILITANTS MILITANT WITH WEAPON CLOSE OF MASKED MILITANT MORE OF RALLY
- Embargoed: 21st September 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Gaza
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVABZ7KTBQ7A07A6IPA47GW2VO8B
- Story Text: Fighters from the Islamist Hamas group and other armed factions held a rare military parade in the Gaza Strip on Friday (September 06) condemning the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, which Palestinians said have yet to make a progress.
Hundreds of well and heavily armed gunmen from Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, two PLO groups and other factions allied with the Islamist faction that rules Gaza toured streets in northern Gaza on board of open vehicles in a show of power.
The militants also warned they were running out of patience towards what they said was Israel's continued violation of a ceasefire signed last November in the wake of eight days of fighting that killed 170 Palestinians and six Israelis.
"We did not authorize anyone to negotiate on our rights. Do we say our people are weak or the (Arab) nation is weak? We are strong because we have our rights," said a masked militant from Hamas.
The participation by fighters from the Popular and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who were allies of Palestinian moderate President Mahmoud Abbas, would add more pressure on the Palestinian negotiating team.
On Wednesday, senior PLO leader Yasser Abed Rabbo said talks between Israeli and Palestinian envoys have not yet made any progress and cast doubts on their future outcome.
The groups also sought to assure Arab countries such as Egypt, that Palestinians had no involvement in their internal unrest.
"We did not have and we had no hand in what is happening and happened in Arab countries and we are innocent of every drop of blood. This is our policy and it will always remain unchanged," the masked man added.
Hamas suffered a political blow on July 3rd when Egyptian army chief ousted their ally, the Islamist elected President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslims Brotherhood organisation, following the eruption of mass protests against his role.
Leaders of Hamas condemned the ousting of Mursi and the killings of hundreds of his supporters especially in the security force crackdown on the rally in Rabaa square in Cairo on August 14th.
Denying involvement in internal unrest in Egypt did not stop fighters from Hamas, during Friday's military show, from making hand signs using four fingers of the hand, copying a sign that has become an international gesture for the support of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo.
Hamas, founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the global organisation of the Muslim Brotherhood, won parliament election in 2006 a year before it seized the control of Gaza, ousting forces loyal to Abbas. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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