Hamas fighting Israel with weapons provided by US, European countries to PA

Jerusalem, Jan 5 (ANI): Hamas representatives have claimed that their militiamen were fighting against Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip with weapons snatched from the Palestinian Authority in the summer of 2007, which were provided by Israel, the US and other European countries.

They said Hamas had managed to lay its hands on all weapons given to forces loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Hamas had also seized dozens of armored vehicles used by Abbas's security forces, they added.

After its men took full control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Hamas announced that it had seized tens of thousands of rifles and pistols, including heavy machine guns; night-vision goggles and bulletproof vests, as well as vast amounts of ammunition.

Sources close to Hamas also claimed that dozens of members of the rival Aksa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, had volunteered to fight alongside Hamas units, the paper reported.

Meanwhile, jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti sent his greetings on Sunday to Hamas militiamen and to all the gunmen involved in the fighting against the IDF, the Paper reported.

Barghouti urged all Palestinian factions to put aside their differences and unite their ranks to fight against the IDF in the Gaza Strip.

"The Israeli aggression is directed against all the Palestinians and their cause," the Fatah leader said. "This is the time to join forces in combating the Israeli occupation." (ANI)