Hamas ready to counter Israeli ‘treachery’

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar has expressed his concerns over the calm now prevailing in the region following the ceasefire with Israel. Al-Zahar said: "We do not trust the Israeli enemy because it cannot live defeated for long.” During an event organised by the Islamic bloc -- a student branch of Hamas – al-Zahar said that Hamas was ready and alert to respond to any Israeli treachery. The Hamas official insisted that the Palestinian reconciliation was his party’s first priority. “I want to tell Fatah to adopt an attitude of resistance and to stop wasting time and efforts. Let’s join our efforts and hold up our weapons,” al-Zahar said. "The reconciliation is a strategic decision for Hamas, and should be applied on the basis of the Palestinian constant principals without compromising our people's rights, or the protection of the resistance," added al-Zahar. He demanded Fatah to abide by what was agreed upon in the Cairo agreement in order to end the division, calling for the factions to engage in a unified political and jihadist project. He praised the role and efforts of the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, stressing that Gaza was always countering the occupation, as well as the West Bank which was able to change the balance of power. He also praised the Egyptian role in support of the Palestinian people, and all who stood against the Israeli aggression during eight consecutive days.  “Western countries began today to look at the Gazan resistance in a different way, after the occupation portrayed our people as terrorists and murderers.” He stressed that the government welcomes all delegations in the Strip to express solidarity and support, with humanitarian aid or political and moral support.