RAMALLAH: The reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas faced new obstacles on Tuesday after Ezzeddine Al-Qassam, the military wing of Hamas, said it would not disarm as part of a Egypt-mediated unity deal.
Abu Obaida, a spokesman for the group, said, “Dismantling Al-Qassam Brigades or any other wing of the Palestinian resistance is a fantasy that will never materialize.”
He said in a statement that freezing of the armed wings of the Palestinian factions was suggested in the latest Egyptian proposal aimed at reconciling Hamas and Fatah.
“If anyone thinks the Egyptian document will succeed in disarming us then it appears the matter needs to be clarified. We say that our weapons are legal and aimed only toward the enemy. It is easier to dismantle the Palestinian Authority than it is to dismantle us...,” Abu Obaida added.
The Hamas statement came as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas traveled to Egypt to hold talks with President Hosni Mubarak over the reconciliation deal.
Abu Obaida said his movement demanded clarification from Egypt over the arms issue.
Hamas, which routed pro-Abbas forces and seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, has not yet responded to Egypt, which had initially set Oct. 25 as the date for the Palestinian unity agreement.
“Fatah completely supported the Egyptian proposal... but then Hamas put down obstacles to achieving a reconciliation,” Abbas told reporters in Cairo, in the latest salvo in a war of words with the Gaza rulers.
Egypt has been struggling for months to broker a reconciliation agreement between the two main Palestinian factions.
Fatah has signed a draft accord drawn up by Egypt but Hamas has repeatedly postponed its official response, saying that it needs more time to consider the deal.
“We don’t want to say that we have completely stopped moving forward on the reconciliation issue. What we are concerned about is the unity of our people,” Abbas said.
He again warned that agreement needs to be reached by Sunday in order for him to set a date for parliamentary and presidential elections in accordance with Palestinian law.
The elections would normally fall due by Jan. 25 but the Egyptian draft proposes holding the elections on June 28 and would require Abbas to issue a decree before the weekend to override that procedure.
— With input from agencies
