Hamas and Hizbullah have signed a cooperation accord.
The leaders of Hamas and Hizbullah met on April 1 in Beirut and signed a
statement declaring their war against Israel as legitimate.
Hamas and Hizbullah are divided by religious beliefs, with Hizbullah led
by
Shi'ite clerics from Iran and Hamas directed by Sunnis. But over the last
two years, Iran has increased support to Hamas and encouraged cooperation
with the Beirut-based Hizbullah.
The meeting of
Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas political chief
Khaled Mashaal ended with a joint call against disarming their groups, Middle East Newsline reported.
For its part, Hamas said the reduction in the Palestinian insurgency
campaign in the West Bank and Gaza Strip depended on the halt of Israeli
attacks and the release of all Palestinian prisoners.
"Hamas will not be committed to remain calm if Israel fails to meet its
demands," Hamas said in the statement.
[In Beirut, another bombing took place in a Christian neighborhood of
Beirut. The attack on Saturday evening was on the eve of a Syrian
announcement of a timetable for a military withdrawal from Lebanon.]
"This truce is a period for pause, and to avoid destruction and
sabotage," Hamas political chief Khaled Masha'al said.
For his part, Nasrallah said he would not agree to the disarming of
Hizbullah, a main condition of the United States. Nasrallah challenged the
United States to try to force Hizbullah to surrender its weapons.
"I wish they would come," Nasrallah said.
