Hamas politburo member: Gaza truce merely a 'fighters respite'

The Gaza truce is local and temporally and merely a "fighters respite" to allow the Palestinian people some breathing space, Hamas politburo member Ayzat Arishak said Friday, stressing that the cease-fire was in no way an abandonment of the armed struggle. The Damascus-based Arishak said that Israel's agreement to the cease-fire was an accomplishment for the Palestinian factions, but said a truce was in the interest of both sides and that Hamas would be committed to it.