Hamas Urges PNA to Halt Security Coordination with Israel
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Islamic Hamas movement urged on Thursday the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to halt security coordination with Israel in the West Bank, and give a free hand to militants to resist the Israeli settlers.
Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in a written statement sent to reporters that after frequent attacks of the settlers "on our people in the West Bank, security coordination must stop and resistance should resume."
On Wednesday, 48 Palestinians were injured, two were in critical conditions during clashes with Israeli soldiers near the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Hamas said the settlers were protected by the Israeli army.
"The serious Israeli escalation in Jerusalem as well as in Gaza and the West Bank, in particular the settlers attacks on our people in Hebron won't happen if there was no security coordination and there was resistance," said Barhoum.
The PNA and Israel has security agreements of coordination, upon the signed interim agreements reached in the 1990s. The PNA security forces had cracked down on militant groups in the West Bank, mainly Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
"Disarming the resistance has given full opportunity to the Zionist rappers to target our people in Hebron, in Selwan and in Jerusalem. It also encouraged them to escalate their attacks on our people," said Barhoum.
After right-wing leader Benjamin Netanyahu formed a right-wing majority coalition government, the Palestinian opposition calls to halt the peace talks and security coordination with Israel had mounted.
"I wonder why the Authority (in Ramallah) keeps the security coordination in spite of the ongoing daily attacks on our people in the West Bank and a fanatic Zionist government has been formed," said Barhoum.
(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2009)