Hamas will merge its weapons with the Palestinian army after the establishment of the state of Palestine, Hamas parliamentary candidate, Muhammad Abu Teir, told The Media Line on Sunday.
Abu Teir, second on Hamas’s national list in Wednesday’s elections, was participating in an election rally in ‘Azariyya, a large neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem.
“When the Palestinian state will be established, and the Palestinian army – merging the weapons of all the militias: Hamas, Jihad, and Fatah – will be built, then we will fight the occupation,” said Abu Teir.
The Hamas candidate also addressed the demands of the United States and Israel, who have called on Hamas to disarm. “[They] say: If Hamas puts down its arms, we will negotiate with it. The PLO recognized Israel and gave up on the national pact; and what did Israel give the Palestinian people in return? The crippled Oslo agreement? We will not give up. We will not put down our arms whatever happens, because it is our guarantee for rights and equality.”
During the interview, Abu Teir said Hamas’s demand from Israel is that it pulls out the occupation. When asked from which territories Israel should pull out, Abu Teir remained ambiguous. “First they have to pull out of the 1967 territories – the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and [east] Jerusalem.”
The Palestinian parliamentary elections will be held on January 25. Eleven parties are participating in the elections, but the biggest contest is between Hamas and Fatah. Various polls suggest that Fatah maintains only a minor lead.