Gaza's ruling Hamas will not stop arming itself, the No. 2
in the Palestinian group told The Associated Press on
Saturday, signaling tough challenges ahead for indirect
negotiations between Israel and the Islamist militants on a
new border deal for Gaza.
The talks are being brokered by Egypt, which also helped
forge a cease-fire deal that ended eight days of Israel-Gaza
fighting earlier this week.
The truce went into effect late Wednesday and has largely
held. Residents in Gaza said Israel has begun easing some
border restrictions, allowing fishermen to head further out
to sea and permitting farmers to inspect land in a former
no-go zone.
Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy to Hamas' top leader in exile
Khaled Mashaal, said talks on a further easing of
restrictions are to be held in Cairo on Monday. Hamas and
Israel do not meet directly and the indirect talks are held
through Egyptian intermediaries.
An Israeli security official has said Israel would likely
link a significant easing of Gaza's border blockade to
Hamas' willingness to stop arming itself. Israeli officials
were not immediately available for comment Saturday.
However, Abu Marzouk rejected such demands. "These weapons
protected us and there is no way to stop obtaining and
manufacturing them," he said in an interview at his office
on the outskirts of Cairo.
Hamas officials in Gaza have said they have developed a
local arms industry. Meanwhile, Mashaal has said the group
has received weapons from Iran since Israel's last Gaza
offensive four years ago.
Hamas smuggles such weapons into Gaza through tunnels under
the border with Egypt.
Israel and Hamas have clashed repeatedly over the years,
most recently in the cross-border battle that began Nov. 14.
The fighting has killed 166 Palestinians and six Israelis.
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