Abbas: Hamas and Jihad are my brethren
By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff

April 1st, 2005

JERUSALEM - Far from being enemies of peace and cold-blooded murderers of men, women and children, PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas said the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations were his brethren.

“We're continually in contact with our brethren in the Jihad movement and the Islamic resistance movement [Hamas], along with other [terror groups]," Abbas told reporters Sunday following a meeting of the PLO’s executive committee in Gaza City.

Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad were invited to attend the meeting. Hamas declined, but Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed Al-Hindi was in attendance.

Over the past week, Abbas has increased efforts to convince Hamas and Islamic Jihad to officially join the PLO in order to deflect pressure to dismantle the groups.

Under the terms of the Oslo Accords and Road Map peace plans, the PLO/PA is obligated to disarm and dismantle all terrorist organizations operating out of territories under its control.

Despite Hamas’s failure to participate in Sunday’s meeting, the group’s Damascus-based leader, Khaled Mashal, said Wednesday he had come to an understanding with Abbas.

In an interview with the Egyptian newspaper Al Aram , Mashal said he and Abbas had struck a deal on the future control of the Gaza Strip following Israel’s planned withdrawal, Israel Radio reported.

PA officials Tuesday confirmed a report that Abbas had agreed to consult Hamas on the fate of abandoned Jewish settlements in Gaza.

Later that day, Hamas announced its tentative decision to officially join the PLO, pending the resolution of differences with Abbas’s Fatah faction.

JNW Site Search