The Palestinian ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)
denounced Israel on Sunday for rejecting a mutual ceasefire
proposed by Prime Minister Ismail Haneya.
Hamas spokesman Mushier al-Masri slammed the Israeli rejection
of the proposal as "part of an Israeli plan to topple the Hamas-led
government and punish the Palestinian people."
"Israel's series of crimes and new method of killing Palestinian
families are aimed at reinforcing the principle of unilateral
solutions," said al-Masri, who is also a member of the Palestinian
Legislative Council.
The Hamas spokesman also urged Israel to release Palestinian
prisoners held in Israeli jails in exchange for the Israeli soldier
kidnapped by Palestinian militants in a cross-border raid on June
25.
"The Zionist enemy should not dream that the Palestinian people
would release the captive soldier without any price because he is
no better than the 10,000 prisoners held in Israel," he said. In
addition, al-Nasri stressed, "Halting Palestinian resistance is
related to the suspension of the Israeli aggression in the
Palestinian territories."
On Saturday, Palestinian Prime Minister and senior Hamas leader
Haneya called on both Palestinian militants and Israel to restore
calm on the basis of a mutual ceasefire.
He also called for a negotiated solution to securing the release
of the abducted Israeli soldier.
Israel, however, rebuffed the ceasefire offer, insisting on the
unconditional release of the kidnapped Gilad Shalit and a halt to
the Palestinian militant rocket firing.
About 50 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed
since Israel launched the broad military operation in Gaza on June
28.
Palestinian militant groups taking Shalit hostage have demanded
Israel release Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in exchange
for Shalit, a request rejected by Israel.
Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, took part in
the June 25 raid on an Israeli army post, during which Shalit was
kidnapped and two other Israeli soldiers were also killed.
But the Hamas-led Palestinian government said that it did not
order the attack and had no foreknowledge of the abduction,
accusing Israel of using the kidnapping as a pretext to topple its
rule.
Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, is sworn to Israel's
destruct. The group took power in late March following a January
election victory.
(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2006)
