Friday evening, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas demanded that the
Islamic Jihad Palestinian resistance movement abide by a cease fire and
stop the firing of homemade shells at the Israeli town adjacent to the
Gaza Strip. The movement responded that any ceasefire should be
respected by both sides of the conflict.
Sheikh Khader Habeeb, one of the leaders of the Islamic Jihad and one of the movement's delegates who met with President Abbas Friday evening in Gaza, told reporters that the president asked the movement to abide by a ceasefire and to stop the firing of homemade shells at Israeli towns.
Habeeb told Abbas that the movement will abide by a truce or a cease fire, as long as a ceasefire could be agreed upon by all factions.
In a phone interview with Ramattan News Agency, Habeeb stated that Sheikh Nafeth Azzam and Sheikh Khaled Al Batsh were officially invited by the Secretary General of the Presidency, Tayyeb Abdul-Rahim, to meet the President and discuss a truce proposal.
Habeeb added that Abbas told the delegation that the National Unity Government would be declared before the end of November. Habeeb added that the Islamic Jihad movement would support the unity government, if that government upholds the Palestinian people's internationally-recognized right to resist military occupation of their land.
Meanwhile, Al Batsh stated that the Israeli policy of destroying the homes of Palestinian resistance fighters will not succeed in stopping the resistance.
He added that he expects an increase of Israeli attacks against the Palestinians, especially after the ongoing Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip failed to achieve its objectives.
