The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, last Thursday condemned the London blasts, urging an end to the ‘injustice and bias against the Arab nation’.
Commenting on the series of bombings that took place in various parts of the British capital, killing or wounding hundreds of people, a responsible source at Hamas made the following statement:
‘The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, voices its condemnation of the bombings that took place in London and resulted in the death of hundreds of innocent victims, extending its heartfelt condolences to their families and relatives.
‘We, in the Hamas Movement, call on all influential world states and forces of the international community to work on halting all forms of occupation, aggression, injustice and bias against the Arab and Islamic nation, particularly in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.
‘The continuation of such injustices creates an atmosphere of tension and frustration which results in such incidents and bombings continuing.
‘We, in the Hamas Movement, would like to draw the attention of the entire world, particularly the British, to the daily terrorist practices carried out by the Zionist occupation army against the sons of the Palestinian people; namely, killing, displacement, razing land and demolition of houses.
‘Such practices are daily carried out by the Zionist occupation.’
In occupied Palestine last Friday, Israeli troops continued with their murderous attacks on Palestinians.
On Friday, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a boy in the West Bank city of Ramallah, witnesses said.
Witnesses said that Israeli soldiers shot and killed Muhib al-Assi, 17, as he was playing with his friends alongside the Apartheid Wall built by Israel in Bayt Laqiyah village.
They added that Israeli soldiers opened fire unjustifiably, shooting Al-Assi in the back, leaving him bleeding for two hours, preventing citizens from evacuating him.
Also in the West Bank, a Palestinian security official said that a group of agents opened fire on policemen who were travelling from the village of Funduq, west of Qalqilyah, to Jericho on Friday afternoon to take part in a training course there.
Brigadier General Muhammad Isa, director of Qalqilyah police, said that this incident was not the first of its kind, and held the occupation forces fully responsible for the incident, which aimed at harassing the citizens in the area and tightening the siege on them.
Musa said that the Israeli side was informed about the incident through the Palestinian military liaison office, but it refused to allow extending help to the policemen and rescue them.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested nine citizens in the West Bank cities of Hebron and Jenin on Friday, witnesses said.
Local witnesses from Hebron said Israeli troops broke into scores of houses in several key districts, arresting a number of citizens.
In Yatta town of Hebron, IOF arrested Kamal Abu-Ubayd after storming his house, leading him to an unknown spot.
Moreover, IOF blocked main roads in Hebron and held dozens of Muslim worshippers at the road leading to the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque, preventing them from performing the Friday prayers.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops rolled into Jenin refugee camp, under air cover and amid heavy shooting, broke into houses, arresting Majdi Qurayni 25, and Hilal al-Ruzzi 27, leading them both to an undisclosed location.
Negotiations continued between Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmud Abbas and Hamas.
A meeting between Abbas and a delegation representing the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, headed by Khalid Misha’l, met in Damascus Thursday evening during a dinner party Hamas held for Abbas.
Hamas stressed during the meeting the importance of the Palestinian national unity and called for speeding the establishment of a supreme body that leads the Palestinians inside Palestine and outside it.
In the same context Hamas stressed the importance of restructuring the PLO on democratic basis.
Hamas also called for the meeting of the committee that consists of the secretary-generals of Palestinian factions which is supposed to draw up the basis on which the PLO should be structured.
Hamas expressed displeasure at the postponement of the legislative elections without consulting the other factions and asked that a date would be designated soon.
The two sides agreed that the Supreme Islamic and Nationalist Follow-up Committee in Gaza should deal with the issue of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Hamas stressed the importance of exerting extreme efforts to free Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Before leaving Damascus for Beirut on Friday, Abbas said that he would not discuss with Lebanese officials the issue of the weapons in the refugee camps in Lebanon.
He stressed that the Palestinian refugees are temporary guests in this country.
In a joint news conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shar’a on the possibility of discussing the issue of disarming the refugee camps, President Abbas said this issue had not been discussed in the past or in these days.
The president added that all that concerned the Palestinian leadership is that the sons of our people in Lebanon have a normal and safe life and be able to earn their living among their Lebanese brothers.
Meanwhile, Abbas emphasized that there is no difference between the PNA and both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
He reminded of the declaration the factions agreed on in Cairo.
He said this declaration set three points to work for, which are calm and truce, activating the PLO, and the elections.
He said an agreement had been reached on these points.
