Hamas chief rules out disarmament

Published August 29, 2014
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal attends a news conference, during his official visit to Russia, in Moscow February 8, 2010.  REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov  (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS)
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal attends a news conference, during his official visit to Russia, in Moscow February 8, 2010. REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS)

DOHA: Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal on Thursday rejected any attempt to disarm his Palestinian Islamist movement in Gaza as demanded by Israel, saying the group’s weapons were “sacred”.

“The weapons of the resistance are sacred and we will not accept that they be on the agenda” of future negotiations with Israel, Meshaal told a news conference in Doha where he lives in exile.

Israel has consistently linked the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, devastated during its 50-day war with Hamas that ended on Tuesday, to the territory’s demilitarisation.

But Meshaal insisted that Hamas will not lay down its arms.

“The issue is not up for negotiations. No one can disarm Hamas and its resistance,” he said of the Palestinian fighters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Hamas achieved none of its demands by the time a “permanent” ceasefire came into effect at 1600 GMT on Tuesday.

Under the deal, Israel will “ ease restrictions on the entry of goods, humanitarian aid and construction materials into Gaza, and it extended the offshore area open to Palestinian fishermen.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2014

Opinion

Who bears the cost?

Who bears the cost?

This small window of low inflation should compel a rethink of how the authorities and employers understand the average household’s

Editorial

Internet restrictions
Updated 23 Dec, 2024

Internet restrictions

Notion that Pakistan enjoys unprecedented freedom of expression difficult to reconcile with the reality of restrictions.
Bangladesh reset
23 Dec, 2024

Bangladesh reset

THE vibes were positive during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent meeting with Bangladesh interim leader Dr...
Leaving home
23 Dec, 2024

Leaving home

FROM asylum seekers to economic migrants, the continuing exodus from Pakistan shows mass disillusionment with the...
Military convictions
Updated 22 Dec, 2024

Military convictions

Pakistan’s democracy, still finding its feet, cannot afford such compromises on core democratic values.
Need for talks
22 Dec, 2024

Need for talks

FOR a long time now, the country has been in the grip of relentless political uncertainty, featuring the...
Vulnerable vaccinators
22 Dec, 2024

Vulnerable vaccinators

THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel...