RAMALLAH – The Hamas military wing announced that it will not disarm as part of Egypt-mediated unity deal. Abu Obaida, the spokesman of Izz Ed-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, said that “dismantling Al-Qassam brigades or integrating them into the security forces is not up for discussion and a fantasy that will never materialize.” He was quoted by the Hamas' official website as saying that “we will not allow talk of it now or in the future. Those who contemplate erasing it will be erased from the pages of history.” “We say that our weapons are legal and aimed only toward the (Israeli) enemy. It is easier to dismantle the Palestinian Authority than it is to dismantle us, and we will take them apart before anyone thinks of touching us,” Abu Obaida added. On Wednesday, Moussa Abu Marzouk, the Hamas Deputy Politburo Chief, said that Hamas will not agree to dismantle its military wing as part of a reconciliation deal with rival movement Fatah. Abu Marzouk told the movement's newspaper Al-Resalah that reconciliation with Fatah could realistically unravel over the “security” issue, adding that Hamas will never agree to remove its armed wing from “the equation of confrontation with the occupation.” According to Palestinian sources, Fatah is demanding that Hamas dismantle its armed wing as a condition for reconciliation. Talks between Fatah and Hamas are set to resume in Cairo on Thursday. Fatah officials expressed hope that Hamas will now agree to allow the Palestinian Central Election Committee to register some Palestinians who do not appear in the voter registry. Azzam Al-Ahmed, a member of Fatah Central Committee and head of its team to Cairo reconciliation talks with Hamas, said that the delegations will settle the obstacles that block the implementation of the Doha's reconciliation deal and particularly the national unity government. According to the Doha deal, signed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Mish'al in the presence of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, a unified transitional government will be formed for the West Bank and Gaza Strip and be headed by Abbas. The deal also calls for holding elections of Palestinian National Council (the Palestinian parliament in exile), the reformation of Palestine Liberation Organization and the reformation of Palestinian security services in West Bank and Gaza Strip.
