Mesha'al: No renewal to Gaza truce

[ 15/12/2008 - 10:46 AM ]

DAMASCUS, (PIC)--

Khaled Mesha'al, the political bureau chairman of Hamas, said that the calm agreement with the Israeli occupation government (IOG) would not be renewed in the Gaza Strip due to the IOG non-commitment to its articles.

Mesha'al, in an interview with Al-Quds satellite channel on Sunday evening, said that the calm was fixed to a period of six months and the "enemy did not abide by it and we in Hamas and majority of other Palestinian forces believe that the truce will be over and will not be renewed".

Resistance factions topped by Hamas would act according to the field developments and in a manner befitting the policy of resisting occupation and defending the Palestinian people, he elaborated.

The Hamas leader said that Israeli threats to invade the Gaza Strip were not new, but "we believe that any such adventure will cost the Israelis a very high price and that is why they will think a hundred times before actually launching it".

The Egyptian brokered verbal calm agreement expires on 19/12 after six months that witnessed numerous Israeli violations including non-commitment to its articles that stipulated opening crossings and gradual lifting of the siege. IOF violations in the past month escalated claiming the lives of 20 Palestinians.

Concerning the prisoners' exchange deal, Mesha'al held the IOG fully responsible for the delay in concluding it, explaining that Israel wants her soldier Gilad Shalit freed without a price in return or in return for a cheap price that allows Israel to determine the list of names to be released.

Shifting to internal dialog, he underlined that Hamas is still interested in initiating inter-Palestinian dialog and that Fatah faction in the West Bank was the one that foiled Egyptian efforts in this regard.

He said that among the other reasons for failure of the dialog to kick off was that the dialog was meant as a protocol ceremony in which the invitees would sign an agreement regardless of its content.

Discussions should first take place on content of the agreement to be followed by an endorsement of what was agreed upon then the signing ceremony, Mesha'al underscored.

The Hamas leader, meanwhile, stressed that there would be no simultaneous presidential and legislative elections since each had its fixed time according to the Palestinian basic law, adding, however, that everything could be agreed upon, in harmony with the law, when an understanding is reached.

Mesha'al briefs Carter on Palestinian developments, Hamas views

[ 15/12/2008 - 09:26 AM ]

DAMASCUS, (PIC)--

Former American president Jimmy Carter met on Sunday evening with a senior delegation of the Hamas Movement led by its supreme leader Khaled Mesha'al in Damascus to discuss Palestinian developments.

A terse Hamas statement said that the meeting fell in line with the Movement's meetings with different international parties and leaderships.

It pointed out that the discussions tackled latest Palestinian developments, noting that Mesha'al briefed Carter on those developments.

Dr. Moussa Abu Marzouq, the deputy political bureau chief of Hamas who attended the meeting, said that the discussions covered a number of issues and proposals, describing the meeting as "constructive".

He said that the exchanges touched on the Palestinian conditions in general, the conciliation, the captured Israeli soldier, the calm agreement and other topics.

Results of the dialog between Hamas and Carter would not be published until an agreement is reached on the next step, the Hamas leader underlined.