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August 12, 2008 The Hamas Movement expressed
Tuesday its utter rejection of the proposed
shelf agreement on the future Palestinian
state which Haaretz newspaper said was handed
to PA chief Mahmoud Abbas by Israeli premier
Ehud Olmert, saying it refuses any proposals
or agreements denying the Palestinian rights
and constants.
According to the Haaretz newspaper, the shelf
agreement plan states that when the PA regains
control over the Gaza Strip, which Hamas
seized in June 2006, Israel would return to
the Palestinians 93 percent of the West Bank,
plus all of the Gaza Strip and would keep the
remaining seven percent.
In an exclusive statement to the PIC, Dr. Sami
Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, stated that such
Israeli promises are aimed at blackmailing the
PA and stimulating it to get involved in
confrontations with Hamas and the Palestinian
people in Gaza, pointing out that the proposal
is also meant to bypass the fundamental rights
of the Palestinian people especially the right
of return and Jerusalem.
Dr. Abu Zuhri warned the PA in Ramallah of
accepting any proposal leading to recognizing
Israel's occupation of any part of the
Palestinian land or drifting after Israeli
security projects or else it would find itself
against the entire Palestinian people.
The spokesman underlined that no party is
authorized now to negotiate on behalf of the
Palestinian people because Abbas's term of
office is about to expire and thus he will
lose his power as a PA chief, adding that the
PLO and its institutions are illegitimate and
violate what has been agreed upon in Cairo and
Makkah agreements.
Olmert's proposal included detailed
explanation of an agreement in principle on
borders, refugees and security arrangements
between Israel and a future Palestinian state,
but it ignored talking about the fate of
occupied Jerusalem and rejected the
Palestinian refugees' right of return.
The proposal said in return for the seven
percent of Palestinian land retained by Israel
in the West Bank, the Palestinians would
receive alternative land in the Negev,
adjacent to Gaza. The Palestinians would also
enjoy free passage between Gaza and the West
Bank without any security checks but this
passage would officially remain in Israeli
hands, the proposal added.
A senior Israeli official said that Abbas was
given preliminary maps of the proposed
borders.
Hamas will not feel sorry
for the calm if Israel ends it
Meanwhile, Dr. Ismail Radwan, a prominent
Hamas leader, stated Monday that in case the
Israeli occupation decided to terminate the
calm, Hamas would never feel sorry for it,
stressing the readiness of the Movement to
defend the dignity of the Palestinian people.
In a popular gathering organized by Hamas, Dr.
Radwan said that the truce was a stage used
somehow for alleviating some of the Gaza
people's suffering and strengthening the
Palestinian resistance and the Palestinian
people's steadfastness.
The Hamas leader underlined that since the
truce took effect and until today, Israel has
not fulfilled its obligations towards the calm
and thus nothing changed except for allowing
in small quantities of goods to the Strip.
The Hamas leader also pointed to the Rafah
border crossing issue, saying that the
Movement showed great flexibility regarding
this file, but there is always step backwards
in opening the crossing.
In the same context, Abu Kassim Dugmash, the
secretary-general of the Salahuddin Brigades,
the armed wing of the popular resistance
committees, stressed Tuesday that the truce
could not continue in light of Israel's
inconsideration of the fate of the Palestinian
people and their real suffering.
In a statement received by the PIC, Dugmash
added that the Israeli occupation did not
abide by the truce agreement which obliged it
to open the crossings, lifting the siege and
stopping its aggression.
The statement highlighted that the Israeli
occupation would not be met with lenience and
resignation by the Palestinian resistance,
adding that it would never be hesitant in
defending the Palestinian people and their
rights.
The statement also called on Egypt to continue
its efforts and pressure the Israeli
occupation to open the Rafah crossing and
respect the truce agreement. |
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