Beirut, July 03: Hamas political leader Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi said he believed Israel would not respect the unilateral ceasefire declared by Palestinian movements, in an interview published here today. Radical Palestinian movements including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as Yasser Arafat's Fatah, agreed on Sunday to freeze anti-Israeli attacks for at least three months.
But the groups set a series of conditions on Israel, including an end to house demolitions and raids into Palestinian areas, an end to targeted killings and the siege on Palestinian leader Arafat and the release of prisoners.
"The truce that was announced will not last. It will have a short life because (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon will certainly violate it," Rantissi told the Lebanese daily As-Safir.
Rantissi said Hamas had agreed to the truce to prevent "domestic clashes" between Palestinian factions, denying that outside pressure played a role.
"The only reason Hamas accepted (the ceasefire) is to save our people from the horror of domestic clashes," he said. "It would be wrong to speak of outside pressure. Hamas is the only movement that has total independence, and its decisions are taken from its head."
"How can you pressure Hamas, whose funds come from private donations from Muslims around the world and not from states or institutions ... and whose leadership is both at home and abroad?" he asked. Bureau Report