In an interview published Monday by the London-based Al Quds Al Arabi newspaper, Mohammed Nazzal, a political bureau member of the Hamas Movement, said there was no reason to speak about a ceasefire agreement until the "Israeli aggression in the occupied territories comes to an end".
He added that the demands of the Palestinian factions to announce a halt in attacks against Israel "ignored the fact that the reason for the crisis is the occupation - and not the resistance".
Nazzal denied recent press reports that Hamas had contacts with US officials, but said the movement's door is "open to the official and popular American bodies."
He added that Hamas strongly opposes the US occupation of Iraq. Nazzal "recommended" the Iraqi resistance to direct their weapons aginst the occupiers and not against the Iraqis. By this, Nazzal added, the resistance would receive more support from the different sectors of the Iraqi people.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Israeli occupation troops continued with their raids as six Palestinians were arrested overnight in the West Bank, suspected of involvement in "anti-Israeli attacks".
Most of those detained were members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who were arrested in the northern West Bank town of Qalqilya, sources said Monday.
They included a top member of the PFLP's armed branch who was captured by special forces dressed in civilian clothing. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
