Hamas urges King Abdullah to intervene to release its leaders

The founder of the Hamas movement, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, urged in a statement to the BBC on Wednesday Jordan's King Abdullah to give up the decision to arrest the movement's leaders in Amman. Sheikh Yassin stressed his movement's opposition to resorting to confrontation as a means of reacting to these measures, saying that his movement does not take part in confrontation measures except with the "Israeli enemy."

He said the presence of "Hamas bureaus in Jordan was a result of an old political understanding."

On Wednesday Hamas addressed a call to King Abdullah of Jordan in which it reiterated its pledge that it backs Jordan and the interests of the nation.

A statement by the political bureau of Hamas said the statement has not changed within the past few months. It is the same movement that had been living for years in Jordan and known by the late King Hussein.