Zawahri asks Hamas not to uphold Israel peace deals

DUBAI, Mar 5 (Reuters) Al Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri urged the Islamist militant Hamas not to recognise peace deals signed by the Palestinian Authority with Israel, according to a video aired by Al Jazeera television.

''Reaching power is not a goal by itself ... and no Palestinian has the right to give away a grain of the soil,'' said Zawahri.

''The seculars in the Palestinian Authority have sold out Palestine for crumbs... Giving them legitimacy is against Islam.'' The audio track of the video aired partially by the satellite news television yesterday was posted on the Internet earlier.

REUTERS DH RAI0451