The military wing of Hamas issued a statement on Saturday saying that any international forces deployed in the Gaza Strip will be treated like any other occupation force. This statement came one day after Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called for the deployment of foreign troops before any Palestinianr early elections.
Al Qassam Brigades stated that: "We will only receive these forces with shells and guns."
In talks on Friday with Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, Abbas had called for deployment of international forces into Gaza Strip where Hamas took total control.
A senior Hamas leader also rejected Saturday the call by Abbas Abbas to deploy an international force in Gaza Strip. Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, fired by Abbas as prime minister earlier this month, said an international force is not acceptable. "We in Gaza and the Palestinian territories are under occupation and we don't need any more forces to pressure the Palestinian people," Haniyeh said during a tour of the house of the late Yasser Arafat, who preceded Abbas as president.
"We are able to solve our problems," Haniyeh added, according to the AP.
