Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a top leader of the Hamas movement, called on Palestinian factions on Wednesday to abide by the informal truce with Israel which established a period of "calm" between Israelis and Palestinians.
“All factions must abide by what has been agreed upon (in a March inter-Palestinian summit) in Cairo,” he said, according to DPA.
The statement came two days after a suicide bombing by the Islamic Jihad faction in the Israeli town of Netanya, north of Tel Aviv, which killed five Israelis.
Despite his call for calm, Yousef refrained from condemning the attack, which he said was in response to Israel's breach of agreement.
On January 25, Palestinian parliamentary elections will take place with Hamas participating for the first time. According to Yousef, Hamas expects "big achievements” in the elections.
Israel has opposed Hamas’ participation in the elections until it dismantles its military wing. The group has traditionally refrained from carrying out suicide attacks on Israelis, but has in the past few years changed its position on the matter.
Yousef added that it was too early to say whether or not Hamas would participate in the Palestinian government. “If it serves the Palestinian interest, we will do it. All roads are open to us,” he said.
© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
