- Title: GAZA: HAMAS MILITANTS SAYS IT WILL NOT DISARM AFTER ISRAELI PULLOUT
- Date: 13th August 2005
- Summary: (BN05) BEIT LAHIYA, GAZA STRIP (AUGUST 12, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. LAS TWO HAMAS MEMBERS JUMPING DOWN A POLE, SPREADING HAMAS BANNER IN DRILL AHEAD OF ISRAELI PULLOUT FROM GAZA 0.09 2. VARIOUS OF ARMED HAMAS MEMBERS WITH MASKS COVERING THEIR FACES TRAINING 3. MILITANTS PRACTISING ARRESTING SUSPECTS (VARIOUS) 4. SLV ISRAELI FLAG ON HILL
- Embargoed: 28th August 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BEIT LAHIYA, GAZA STRIP
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVAECTQX67TLLCPDE1D2HWA4W4C1
- Story Text: Hamas says it will not disarm after Israeli pullout
from Gaza.
Hamas militants said on Friday (August 12, 2005) they
would refuse to disarm after Israel's planned Gaza pullout
so they could continue to press Israel to withdraw from
more occupied land further on.
The remarks by two leaders of Hamas's armed wing posed
a new challenge to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who
has sought to rein in armed chaos in Gaza so he can assert
control over the occupied land Israel is set to vacate
starting on August 17.
"Arms is a holy issue. It is impossible for us to
abandon our arms even if we all get killed. The issue of
arms is not one for discussion," Ahmed Al-Ghandour, the
head of Hamas Qassam Brigades told reporters in northern
Gaza.
Hamas, bent on Israel's destruction, was behind dozens
of suicide bomb attacks that have killed hundreds of
Israelis, but has largely honoured a truce in four years of
fighting called by Israel and the Palestinians last
February.
Al-Ghandour, who tops Israel's list of wanted militant
suspects, said Hamas would not join any Palestinian
security agencies, despite Abbas's efforts to coax them to
do so to help maintain a calm in violence with Israel.
"We will preserve our structure and increase our force and we will
not join any (security) services," Al-Ghandour said.
The other gunman, Abu Ubaida, said as he held an M-16
assault rifle: "This is a message to the Israeli enemy
that resistance will continue and that the removal of the
occupation was a result to this resistance that will
continue."
"We will maintain and preserve the arms of resistance
and we will increase our force and arms to liberate all of
the Palestinian land. Palestine is not only Gaza," Abu
Ubaida said.
But both gunmen said Hamas would respond to Israeli
attacks and not initiate any violence during the Israeli
pullout from occupied land.
"Every action will be met with a reaction. We will not
keep silent against any action by the Zionist enemy,"
Al-Ghandour said.
The gunmen spoke after an armed exercise held early on
Friday by 1,000 members who practised storming Jewish
settlements and attacking Israeli troops.
Israel has vowed to respond harshly to any Palestinian
violence against troops or settlers during its first
removal of Jewish settlements from land Palestinians seek
for an independent state.
As part of the pullout Israel plans to remove all 21
Jewish settlements from Gaza and four from the West Bank in
a unilateral move to "disengage" from conflict with
Palestinians.
Abbas has urged the Palestinians to ensure the Israeli
pullout goes calmly and had reached agreement with Hamas to
form committees to discuss the issue.
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