Hamas, Islamic Jihad Now Joint Operation

by Mohammad Gamal Arafa

Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of Hamas' politburo, told IslamOnline.net the two groups "have been coordinating operations and joint statements for more than five months through a joint leadership in and outside the occupied Palestinian territories."

Ziad Nakhala, Islamic Jihad Deputy Secretary General, stressed that the "current situation in Palestine necessitates unity and not division and that both Jihad and Hamas have a common approach.

"Hence, there is nothing that can prevent forming an organizational unit bringing the two groups together under one leadership."

Marzouk and Nakhala, who led their groups delegations to the latest round of the Cairo-hosted inter-Palestinian factions which was wrapped up on Sunday, Dec. 7, said Hamas and Jihad declined to authorize the Palestinian Authority to negotiate with Israel.

"We fear such authorization might be exploited to give more concessions and sign agreements similar to the unofficial Geneva Agreement and the Oslo Accords," the told an IOL-hosted seminar after the end of the inter-Palestinian dialogue.

Marzouk asserted that Hamas refused to join the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).

"They asked us to join the PLO several times but not as full partner in the decision-making process. They only want us to join the PLO and keep our silent." Commenting on the same issue, Nakhala said "there is no unity inside the PLO. How would we join such an organization?

"What good would it be to join the PLO with such disintegration not only inside the PLO but also Fatah Movement itself?" wondered the Islamic Jihad official.

Asked why Hamas refused a proposal of a conditional ceasefire during the Cairo talks, Marzouk said: "We offered to spare civilians on both Palestinian and Israeli sides.

He asserted that Hamas's refusal of the mooted truce came of its conviction that Israel and the U.S. were suffering a crisis in view of counting resistance in Palestine and Iraq.

The Hamas official said the American quagmire in Iraq forced Washington to change its approach in dealing with officials.

"Now, whenever an American official meets an Arab counterpart he would say 'help us in Iraq and we'll help you in Palestine,'" Marzouk said.

He cited, in this respect, how the U.S. ambassador in Lebanon stopped making his usual authoritative statements.

With spiraling Iraqi resistance attacks, he started resorting to Lebanese politicians for advice, according to Marzouk.

On the funding of Hamas after several Arab and Gulf states stopped supporting Palestinian charities under American pressures, Marzouk said: "Our funds usually double in times of crises. Donors are keen on allocating money for Hamas and some of them even move from one country to another to be able to do so."

The Hamas official said they contacted Arab states that halted aid to Palestinian charities under the pretext that funds were being channeled to Hamas.

"We asked them to give the assistance directly to the Palestinian families because we are only concerned with the sufferings of families that have no one to support," he added.