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Hamas says not to maintain ceasefire by force

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-25 20:40

GAZA  -- A senior leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said on Wednesday that it would not turn into force maintaining security on Israel's borders with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

The Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip is seen closed, Wednesday, June 25, 2008 . Gaza militants fired three rockets into southern Israel Tuesday, lightly wounding two Israelis. It was the first attack since the truce took effect last Thursday. Israel responded by closing Gaza's border crossings, which are used to deliver food and basic supplies into the area. [Agencies]

"No one will have the chance to be happy when seeing Hamas raising its gun in the face of a fighter," said Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza. "Hamas will not maintain the lull in the Gaza Strip by force even if the factions breached it."

His remarks were made after Israel said Hamas is responsible for the existing of the ceasefire which took effect between the two sides last Thursday.

On Tuesday, the Islamic Jihad movement violated the lull and fired rockets into southern Israel to respond to an Israeli raid in the West Bank where a commander and another Palestinian were killed. The Egyptian-brokered ceasefire doesn't include the West Bank.

Following the incident, Hamas said it was still committed to the ceasefire and urged the Palestinian factions to restrain.

Al-Hayya claimed that the ceasefire did not take place in the West Bank because Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose forces control the territory, rejected the ceasefire in the West Bank.