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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: May 21, 2005 |
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The Islamic militant group Hamas warned Saturday it may walk away from a truce with Israel because of a dispute with the ruling Fatah party over municipal elections in the Gaza Strip.
It marked the first time Hamas linked its adherence to the cease-fire to an internal Palestinian issue.
In the local election earlier this month, Hamas posed a strong challenge to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah, winning about one-third of the races, including in the towns of Rafah and Beit Lahiya, and the Bureij refugee camp -- three important contests.
Fatah complained of irregularities, and a Gaza court ordered a partial revote in the three communities. Hamas leaders said they did not recognize the court's decision, and accused Fatah of attempting to manipulate the election.
In recent days, there has been an upsurge in Israeli-Palestinian fighting in Gaza, with Hamas and other militant groups firing mortars and rockets at Israeli targets, ostensibly in retaliation for Israeli army fire. However, Israeli security officials said they believed Hamas anger over the election dispute was also a motive.
Earlier Saturday, the Palestinian interior minister, Nasser Yousef, said Hamas agreed to stop firing rockets at Gaza settlements and reaffirmed its commitment to the truce declared in Cairo in March.
However, Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri told a rally of 5,000 Hamas supporters Saturday evening that the group is on the brink of abandoning the cease-fire, citing the court ruling in the election dispute.
"We came to say that if this comedy continues," he said, referring to the ruling, "the understandings reached in the latest dialogue in Cairo will go to the wind."
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