"Hamas Reiterates Armed Resistance against Israel" (Fars News-Iran)

Hamas continues to make effective use of its two faces:

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, would never give up armed resistance against the Zionist regime of Israel, a Hamas official said, rejecting reports that the group has accepted to end its armed struggle against the Israeli regime.

According to Palestinian media reports, Salah al-Bardwil, a member of Hamas Political Bureau rejected the claims raised in some western media about an agreement between Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas about ending armed campaign against the Israeli regime.

Western media have quoted Abbas as saying that Fatah and Hamas had agreed during their reconciliation talks on giving up military resistance to stand against the Zionist regime only through "peaceful popular resistance".

"Hamas is against giving up armed resistance," Bardwil stated, and added, "This issue has not been raised during the negotiations between Hamas and Fatah."

He reiterated that popular resistance is a priority for the Palestinians, but it does not at all mean that armed resistance should end.

Another senior Hamas official Ismail Radwan had earlier said that armed resistance remains a strategic option for Palestinians, while affirming that popular action was also an integral part of challenging Israel's policies.

Radwan told Ma'an news agency that "all aspects of resistance are open and permissible and open to us". [...]