Hamas to challenge peace deal between Israel, Palestinians

Gaza, Feb 13: A senior Hamas movement official warned Wednesday that his movement would violently confront any peace deal that might be reached between

and the Palestinians, Xinhua reported.

Emad Alami, a senior Hamas leader, told reporters here that his movement won't be committed to any future peace agreement reached with Israel that denies the basic legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

"The Palestinian options to confront such an agreement are so many, mainly by escalating armed resistance as what had happened when Oslo accords were signed in 1993," said Alami.

It is the first time that a senior Hamas official threatens to use armed confrontations against any future Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

The Islamic movement had violently seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, following weeks of violent fighting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' forces.

Right after Israel and the Palestinians signed the Oslo peace accords in 1993, Hamas carried out a series of suicide bombing attacks on Israel, which killed and wounded hundreds of Israelis.

"The current absurd negotiations, sponsored by Americans, are a major challenge for the Palestinians because it is largely rejected by most of the Palestinian factions," Alami contended.

Israel and the Palestinians resumed their talks after mediation and auspices of US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is currently proposing a one-year framework peace agreement.

The Hamas official expressed his movement's readiness to back Abbas in case he rejected Kerry's plan, calling for forming a Palestinian coalition to confront the current negotiations.

IANS