Israel continue killings of Palestinian opposition and resistance leaders; US criticizes Hamas for ending talks with Abbas
Palestine-USA, Politics, 6/7/2003

The US has criticized the Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, and described it as an "enemy of peace" after the movement announced it will stop talks with the Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas over ending its attacks against the Israelis.

The spokesman for the White House Deputy Press Secretary Scott McClellan said that "Hamas is an enemy for peace and we continue to work with all sides in order to achieve peace." He added that peace efforts which are led by US President George W. Bush will not stop and will proceed forward. The spokesman called on all sides in the Middle East to dismantle what he described as "the infrastructure of terrorism." Yesterday, Hamas announced cutting its talks with Abbas in protest of his commitment to stop the Intifada and end resistance against the Israeli occupation. The founder of the Hamas movement Sheikh Ahmad Yassin said that his movement "stops dialogue with the authority because of the bad stand by Abbas during al-Aqaba summit in which he ignored the question of the refugees and ignored the Palestinian detainees, Jerusalem and gave the Jews what they do not deserve."

He added "we do not have before us, but to resist. Resistance will continue, Inshullah." For his part, the leading figure at the Hamas movement Abdul Aziz al-Ranteisi said that the commitment made by the prime minister ( Abu Mazin) paved the way for Israel for further killings of the Palestinians, and Hamas only has before the only option of just continuing to fight after Abbas had blocked all roads for dialogue.

In line with this position, thousands of Palestinians, of the Hamas movement partisans organized massive meetings in various parts of Gaza yesterday and vowed to continue resistance against the occupation, including suicide operations.

Hamas rejects the Roadmap which is supported by Washington, saying that this Roadmap gives Israel much. Hamas also rejects its members to drop their arms until the Israeli forces withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza. However, the movement showed readiness to cooperate with Abbas through halting Palestinian attacks inside the green line areas ( Israel).

However, this position taken by Hamas was not the only among the Palestinian resistance groups, as each of the Islamic Jihad and the two Democratic and People's Fronts For the Liberation of Palestine announced their rejection to stop the Intifada and resistance against the occupation.

A statement for al-Aqsa martyrs, the military wing of the Fatah movement led by Yasser Arafat said it will not agree to a ceasefire unless Israel lifts the siege imposed on Arafat and stops assassination of Palestinians and release the Palestinian prisoners.

However, these developments come at a time when the Israeli forces escalate its military operations in the West Bank and Gaza since the end of al-Aqaba summit.

On Thursday evening the Israeli forces assassinated two activists of the Hamas movement and injured a third in an ambush installed by an Israeli military forces against Palestinian resistance in a house inside Ateel village to the north of Toulkarem in the West Bank.

The Israeli forces also arrested four Palestinian resistance men chased by the Israeli forces on Thursday evening near Toulkarem while two others were arrested near Jenin.

Previous Stories:
  Bush vows to support Israeli, Palestinian, Arab peace efforts   (6/5/2003)
  Al-Aqaba summit: Bush reiterates support for Palestinian state, Israel's security, enforcement of Roadmap implementation   (6/5/2003)
  Israeli forces release 91 Palestinian prisoners, arrest 10 others   (6/4/2003)
  Israel tighten siege measures, hold hundreds of people at check points   (6/3/2003)
  Israel kill three Palestinians, symbolic lift of closure on West Bank and Gaza   (6/2/2003)
  Washington freezes assets of al-Aqsa society   (5/31/2003)

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