Zahhar: Armed struggle will free Palestine

09/12/2010

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar said Thursday that all Palestinian factions, including Fatah, should form a united front in an armed struggle in order to liberate all of historic Palestine.

Zahhar personally set fire to an Israeli flag during the brief news conference in Gaza organized to mark the 23rd anniversary of the founding of Hamas.

He said: "Israeli occupation will end. it does not have any future among us. Our Palestinian principles are not up for negotiation by anyone. Humanity is a sacred value to us as well as our land, which is not subject to elections, or referendum, or compromises, buying or selling."

"We also call for the Arab nation to unleash its people to reach Palestine," he said. He also urged the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank to allow "resistance" to resume against Israel.

Addressing the Western world, he said, "We are not your enemies, your enemies are those who send your soldiers into failed wars in Lebanon, Iran, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan."

Zahhar's comments contrasted with those made one week earlier by the Hamas-affiliated prime minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, who said the movement would respect the results of a referendum on the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza only.

Haniyeh told journalists: "We don't have a problem with establishing a viable Palestinian state with sovereignty on the land that was occupied in 1967, with a just solution for the refugees, including the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and with elections as the only way to transfer authority from one party to another."

"Hamas and the Palestinian government would respect the results of any referendum," he also said.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=340649.