HAMAS vows to continue fighting

JERUSALEM, Nov 20: The military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement HAMAS on Thursday denied reports of a rapprochement with Yasser Ar...

JERUSALEM, Nov 20: The military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement HAMAS on Thursday denied reports of a rapprochement with Yasser Arafat8217;s Palestinian Authority and vowed to continue its battle against Israel.

quot;Our holy war and our opposition to the Zionist occupation will continue and will not stop whatever the risks,quot; said the statement issued by the Ezzedin al-Qassem brigades.

quot;Any attempt to strike at our heroic holy war and impede our legal resistance 8230;. will not lessen our determination to continue our holy war and our preparedness to strike at the Zionist enemy,quot; the statement said.

Since the signing of last month8217;s Wye River agreement, the Palestinian Authority has cracked down on HAMAS leaders and activists in the Gaza Strip.

The agreement balances an Israeli military withdrawal from the West Bank with tougher security commitments from the Palestinians.After a suicide bombing last month aimed at an Israeli school bus in the South of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian police arrestedhundreds of members of HAMAS and the smaller Islamic Jihad and put HAMAS8217;s leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, under house arrest.

The Ezzedin al-Qassem Brigades criticized reports of a rapprochement between opposition groups opposed to the peace process with Israel and the Palestinian Authority since the crackdown started.

quot;We find it very strange what we hear of the movement of part of HAMAS8217;s political leadership in the Gaza Strip towards military cooperation with the Palestinian Authority,quot; the statement said.

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The Ezzedin al-Qassem statement was issued as Palestine Liberation Organisation number two Mahmud Abbas said that the Palestinian leadership had invited opposition groups to participate in final-status talks with Israel.