A spokesman for Hamas denied Friday that the movement demanded participation in the current Palestinian National Authority (PNA) institutes, announcing determination to resist the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Member of Hamas Political Leadership here Saeed Seyam commented on the statement made recently by Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabeel Sha'ath who said "we did not demand participation in the PNA, but we talk about the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza".
| "Naw. We don't want to participate unless we can be in charge..." |
Sha'ath, in his statement, considered that "if Israel withdraws from Gaza, then the participation of Hamas in the PNA dictates full commitment to a ceasefire". Seyam stressed "as long as the Israeli occupation continues, the resistance will continue", asserting that "during the resistance period, we do not compete for ruling". He added "if the Israelis withdraw from Gaza, then we may participate in the arrangements for managing the strip". Seyam accused the Israelis of "practicing the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians on a daily basis", noting that "when Israel stops targeting Palestinian civilians, Hamas will make an appropriate decision". The US announced rejection of Hamas' participation in the PNA, though Palestinain President Yasser Araft welcomed the idea of participation in a unified national leadership for the Palestinian uprising. |