国际英语新闻：Hamas committed to calm to avoid another new war on Gaza

GAZA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the political and military wings of Islamic Hamas movement declared they are still committed to a truce with Israel while violence with Israel has recently mounted amid Israeli threats to wage another war on the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian observers believe that the open announcement of the movement's leaders, who seized control of the coastal enclave in June 2007, showed that Hamas tries to avoid another war with Israel.

HAMAS TO STICK TO TRUCE WITH ISRAEL

Abu Obaida, the spokesman of Hamas armed wing "Ezz El-Deen al-Qassam Brigades", speaks during a press conference in Gaza City on Dec. 25, 2010. The armed wing of the Islamic Hamas movement on Saturday said it is interested in keeping the situation in the Gaza Strip calm though truce with Israel has been fragile.

Mahmoud al-Zahar, the Hamas strongman, said on Friday during a Hamas rally in southern Gaza Strip that his movement will be committed to the truce reached with Israel two years ago after Israel waged the Cast Lead operation on the enclave that lasted for three weeks and left more than 1,400 people killed.

"At this stage of time, we announce our commitment to the truce with the occupation [Israel]. This doesn't mean that we are weak or we are not ready to struggle and sacrifice," said al-Zahar.

Meanwhile, spokesman of Hamas' armed wing al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obeida told a news conference held in Gaza that the truce with Israel "is linked to stopping the daily military escalation of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."

ISRAELI THREATS OBLIGE HAMAS TO KEEP AGREEMENT

Hani Habib, a Gaza-based political analyst, told Xinhua that the announcements of the Hamas leaders show that the recent Israeli airstrikes and the warnings of senior Israeli army officials to wage another large-scale military operation "had obliged Hamas to stick to the truce."

"Their statements show that as long as there is calm of Israel, then in return there will be calm of Hamas, despite the ongoing Israeli assaults against Gaza fighters firing rockets at Israel," said Habib, referring to the Israeli airstrikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip during the last few days.

Mustafa Sawaf, a Gaza-based political analyst close to Hamas, told Xinhua that Hamas' commitment to the truce with Israel "is based on the fact that Israel is planning to wage another war on Gaza," adding "the commitment has not created a new reality, but the cease-fire should be mutual."

"I don't think that the commitment shows Hamas is weak. If we look at the statements of its leader, we can see that Hamas is passing through a stage of rebuilding and preparations to face any future Israeli assaults. It seems that Hamas does not want to confront at this stage of time with Israel," said Sawaf.