Abu Marzouk: Hamas rejects truce that does not end Gaza blockade

 
Source: nowlebanon.com, 09-01-2009
The Islamic Palestinian movement Hamas will not accept any ceasefire with "Israel" that does not end the blockade of Gaza, a senior Hamas official told AFP in an interview on Friday.
Moussa Abu Marzouk, the Damascus-based deputy head of the powerful Hamas politburo, also said that "Israel" must end its two-week long onslaught on the Gaza Strip and withdraw its troops from the Hamas-ruled territory.
His comments came a day before a Hamas delegation, including Gaza representatives, was due in Cairo to discuss an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire.
The three-point plan announced by President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday calls for a ceasefire that would allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, urgent meetings with "Israeli" and Palestinian officials and the resumption of Palestinian reconciliation talks.
"In every stage there are many questions and there is a need for clarifications," Abu Marzouk said in a telephone interview.
On Tuesday, a Hamas delegation from Syria met with Egyptian intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman, Cairo's point man for "Israel" and Palestinian affairs.
But Saturday's meeting will be the first attended by Gaza representatives since "Israel" began its two-week long onslaught on the territory.
Abu Marzouk said that the delegation would ask for clarifications on the status of Egypt's Rafah border crossing with Gaza.
"There will be no acceptance of any (proposal) that does not call for an end to the blockade and the opening of the border crossings," he said.
The delegation, he said, will also discuss the validity of a 2005 deal under which the Rafah crossing can only be opened to normal traffic if European Union observers and Palestinian Autonomy forces are at the border.
Egypt cites the agreement as the reason it has refused to permanently open the crossing, the only one with Gaza which bypasses "Israel".
The EU suspended its mission at the crossing after Hamas seized control of Gaza after a week of deadly fighting with the secular Fatah movement in June 2007.
"Israel" had enforced the blockade after Hamas seized power in Gaza. It has said that it would not accept a ceasefire that allowed Hamas to rearm with weapons smuggled in through tunnels linking Gaza and Egypt.
Abu Marzouk also criticized a UN Security Council resolution issued on Thursday that called for an immediate and "durable" ceasefire in Gaza.
"The movement was not consulted on the Security Council resolution," Abu Marzouk said.
"Hamas has no comments on the resolution, because it has not been asked to accept or reject it," he said.
"Israel", which sent an envoy to Cairo on Thursday for talks with official, has rejected the resolution and its security cabinet decided on Friday to continue the offensive in Gaza.
Abu Marzouk accused the Israeli army of targeting women and children and said that the movement's military wing, the Qassam Brigades, were capable of battling Israeli troops.
"The Israeli troops are running away from every confrontation with (Hamas fighters) and are resorting to shelling from a distance," Abu Marzouk said.
"Face the (fighters) and leave the civilians alone," he said, in reference to the Israeli army.
"Israel", which accuses Hamas of fighting from densely populated cities and refugee camps, sent tanks and infantry into the impoverished coastal strip on Saturday.
The "Israeli" army says it has engaged with Hamas fighters and killed dozens of them, but analysts say army commanders have been reluctant to be lured into prolonged battles in the narrow alleys of refugee camps and cities, where the Qassam Brigades hope to inflict more casualties among the soldiers.
"Israel" launched its offensive on December 27 to halt rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.
Almost 800 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict started while "Israel" said that 10 of its soldiers were killed in combat over the same period and one by a rocket strike from the territory.