Hamas fighters said Friday they would not disarm, despite Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip, so they could carry on pressing Israel to withdraw from more lands.
"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," the head of Hamas' Qassam Brigades, Ahmed Al-Ghandour, told reporters in Gaza.
According to Reuters, he added Hamas would respond to any Israeli attacks but would not initiate any attacks during the pullout. "Every action will be met with a reaction," said Al-Ghandour. "We will not keep silent against any action by the Zionist enemy."
Al-Ghandour stressed Hamas would not join any Palestinian security agencies. "We will preserve our structure and increase our force and we will not join any [security] services," Al-Ghandour said.
Another leader, Abu Ubaida, said: "This is a message to the Israeli enemy that resistance will continue and that the removal of the occupation was a result of 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."
