Fighting words from Hamas
2003-05-02 12:15
Gaza City - The military wing of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Friday issued a stark warning against any attempt to disarm it or implement an international roadmap for Middle East peace.
"This is a clear message to everybody - our weapons are our blood. We will cut any hand that tries to take these weapons away from us," the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.
It was referring to a call to disarm issued this week by the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas. Israel backed the creation of his power-sharing position and expects him to curb the violence in the 31-month-old intifada.
The group, which claimed joint responsibility for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv this week, also warned it would consider any move towards implementing the peace roadmap drawn up by the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States as an act of collaboration with Israel.
"To our eyes, anybody who co-operates with the roadmap is collaborating with Israel's criminal occupation," the statement said.
The roadmap, which was finally submitted to the two sides this week after months of delay, lays out the steps for an end to the violence and a resumption of talks.
It provides for an Israeli withdrawal to the September 2000 lines as a prelude to the establishment of a Palestinian state, but Hamas rejects the very existence of Israel.