Hamas: Israel bringing an end to calm

Deputy head of group: Continued settlement construction makes Palestinian restraint impossible.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Hamas abu marzouk 248 88 ap (photo credit: AP [file])
Hamas abu marzouk 248 88 ap
(photo credit: AP [file])
If Israel does not fulfill its ceasefire obligations, it will be impossible for the various Palestinian factions to do any different, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau Moussa Abu Marzouk told the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat in a interview published on Saturday. "Israel is not transferring to Gaza supplies at the promised level, and is not opening the border crossings to the Gaza Strip," Marzouk was quoted as saying. "The Egyptians are investing enormous efforts to pressure Israel to fill its obligations." "The Palestinians feel that they are not benefiting from the calm," he continued. "One must ask what is the benefit for continuing and sticking to it in light of the current situation." The unacceptable current situation, Marzouk explained, related to continued settlement construction in the West Bank and around Jerusalem, as well as other unspecified policies. Meanwhile, senior diplomatic officials told a Saudi newspaper on Saturday that Hamas is freezing negotiations over the release of IDF cpl. Gilad Schalit until the political situation in Israel stabilizes. "In light of the announcement of resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Hamas is interested in freezing negotiations for a Schalit deal until the internal political situation in Israel is clear," the sources told the paper. According the report, the sources said that the Egyptians share the same concerns as Hamas over the continuation of negotiations. These concerns, the sources said, derive from the feeling that should a deal be agreed upon, the current political situation would make it impossible to implement.