Israelis ‘trying to bring down Hamas government’
Financial Times, UK By Ferry Biedermann
Published: June 29 2006
Palestinians from across the political spectrum accused Israel on Thursday of using the crisis to bring down the Hamas government.
“This will return us to point zero, to when there was no [Palestinian] Authority,” said the deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Hassan Khreishe, an independent close to Hamas.
He vowed to convene the PLC as soon as possible, maybe on Sunday, to show that parliament continued to function.
A leader of the armed wing of Hamas meanwhile insisted it would not give in to “blackmail” or free the Israeli soldier captured in a cross-border raid on Sunday in exchange for the release of Hamas officials.
Of the 64 Hamas members detained in overnight raids, 38 have seats in the 132-member PLC, including eight ministers, said Mr Khreishe. The escalating crisis will have an obvious impact on the functioning of ministries whose heads have been detained, further undermining a government that has faced severe financial pressure. [more]