Prime Minister Haniya: the newly-announced security plan won’t affect resistance

Friday April 20, 2007 21:55

by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya of Hamas, stated Friday that the recently-announced interior ministry’s security plan, intended to contain internal unrest, would not affect the Palestinian resistance.

Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya

Speaking to worshippers during the Friday sermon in the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, PM Haniya maintained “the security plan will organize the movement of weapons in the Palestinian territories. The security plan will not harm the Palestinian resistance and the weapons of Palestinian factions. This plan is intended to put an end to the chaos surrounding the resistance”, the PM stated.

The Palestinian premier added that the new security plan would focus on containing family feuds and reigning in the weapons carried by gangs and ‘mobs’ in the territories. He called on the Palestinian residents to co-operate with the security services in order to restore law and order to the Palestinian streets.

Palestinian interior minister, Hani Qawasmi, announced earlier this week a security plan made up of phases, in a bid to restore calm to the unrurly Palestinian street, in the shadow of factional infighting and family disputes.

Internal unrest throughout the Gaza Strip over the past four months has claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians and wounded hundreds others. The unrest involved Fatah-Hamas infighting and a series of family feuds, at a time when the Palestinian territories have been going through unprecedented harsh economic conditions due to an international economic embargo.

Hamas’s spokesman in Gaza, Fawzi Barhoum, confirmed on Thursday that his movement won’t renounce resistance against the Israeli occupation. The internationally-imposed economic embargo is aimed at making Hamas renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept past signed agreements.