GAZA CITY Ñ Hamas has refused a Palestinian Authority request to
surrender its weapons.
Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said the movement would not surrender its
weapons to the PA even after an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Zahar said Hamas was ready to help capture weapons held by other
Palestinians.
"We will never drop our guns until the end of the occupation and until
we will have secure borders for a Palestinian homeland," Zahar said.
PLO chairman Mahmoud Abbas has called on all insurgency
groups to surrender their weapons to facilitate the resumption of peace
talks with Israel, Middle East Newsline reported.
"We are ready to cooperate in collecting illegal arms that lead to
crimes against our people," Zahar said. "But concerning our arms, Abu Mazen
[Abbas] told us that the PA would deal with this through dialogue."
Zahar said Hamas would use its weapons to fight Israel. He said the
priority would be to avenge the Israeli military's operation in Khan Yunis
last weekend.
"We have a right, a duty to defend ourselves and our children and
women," Zahar said. "Nobody can lecture us on this most axiomatic issue. Do
you want us to do nothing while the Israeli occupation army murders our
children and destroy our homes. Would you do that yourself?"
On Wednesday, Israel's military renewed operations in the refugee camp
in Khan Yunis, the launching pad for mortar and missile attacks on the
neighboring Israeli community of Gush Katif. Over the last few weeks, Hamas
was said to have fired Kassam-class short-range missiles toward Israeli
civilian and military targets from Khan Yunis.
Zahar also said Hamas sought to conclude an accord with the ruling Fatah
movement that would govern relations between the two groups. He said the
so-called charter of honor could pave the way for inclusion of Hamas into
the PLO.