Hamas: Gaza siege due to anti-US stance
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Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:10:01 GMT
Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior member of the Hamas leadership in
the Gaza Strip
http://www.presstv.ir/photo/20091218/pirhayati20091218130320593.jpg
A senior member of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip,
Mahmoud al-Zahar, says that the long-standing siege on the
impoverished Gaza Strip is because the resistance movement
doesn't follow Washington's lead.
"The Gazans are suffering severe hardship under the
crippling Israeli siege for the simple reason that the
Islamic Hamas movement won a large majority in the
Palestinian parliament in January 2006. The outright victory
of Hamas in the election dealt a bitter blow to the United
States and its Zionist ally. Washington punishes free
nations who stand against its wishes," Zahar told Tehran-
based Arabic-language Al-Alam television news channel on
Thursday.
Israel has continued to close all border crossings to the
Gaza Strip for more than 2 years. The illegal Israeli-
imposed blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has been steadily
tightened since 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the
humanitarian and economic situation in the coastal enclave.
Some 1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights,
including freedom of movement, and their rights to
appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.
Poverty and unemployment rates stand at approximately 80%
and 60% respectively in the Gaza Strip.
The high-ranking Hamas official meanwhile criticized the
Fatah-led Palestinian Authority over its double standards.
"The acting Palestinian Authority chief, Mahmoud Abbas,
alleges to be supportive of resistance against the Israeli
regime on the one hand while expanding security cooperation
with the Zionists on the other," he said.
Zahar also welcomed the formation of a Central Electoral
Committee to terminate the animosity between the major
Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah.
On the Egyptian-brokered reconciliation efforts, Zahar said,
"It's impossible for each of the factions to adopt the
other's policies and views, but the decision-making should
rest with those who enjoy a robust popular support."
Hamas and Fatah have long been wrangling with each other
over substantial discords which have caused real bottlenecks
to compromise and healing the internal Palestinian rifts.
Ever since Hamas won an outright majority in the 2006
Palestinian legislative elections, the two factions have
pursued bitter rivalry.
MP/MTM/DT
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=114041§ionid=351020202
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