Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, said that it will not renew its commitment to the truce, which expires at the end of this year, if Israel does not halt its attacks, and refrains from releasing Palestinian political detainees.
Mahmoud Zahhar, one of Hamas’ prominent leaders, said that the Palestinian factions agreed to the truce nine months ago under the condition that Israel refrains from carrying attacks in the Palestinian territories.
“Calm was conditional on the halt of the Israeli military aggression against our people, and freeing the detainees”, Zahhar said, “Nothing was achieved, and Israel continued its attacks and assassinations”.
The statements of Zahhar came during an interview with Reuters after conducting prayers in Gaza. Today marks the first day of Eid Al Fitir, a Muslim feast which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
“Calm does not come without a price”, Zahhar told Reuters, “The price is releasing the detainees and halting the Israeli military aggression”.
Egypt said that it will organize talks among the Palestinian factions in the coming weeks in an attempt to renew the truce and promote talks with Israel on Palestinian statehood and other important issues, namely the detainees.
Israel still holds more than 8000 Palestinian detainees, among them hundreds of detainees who where arrested in recent invasions carried by the Israeli army in the West Bank.
Israeli army killed recently 16 Palestinians, including resistance fighters, in several air strikes which were carried out after the Hadera suicide bombing which left five Israeli dead, several others were injured.
An 11-year-old child was killed on Thursday morning in the West Bank city of Jenin while walking with his parents on the first day of Al Fitir feast.
Also, one fighter was shot and killed in Qabatia, near Jenin, on Tuesday evening after the army invaded it, two residents were injured.
