Hamas chief Khaled Mishaal said on Friday a nine-month calm with Israel will soon be over. "There is no room for truce. I say to our brothers in the (Palestinian) Authority that we are witnessing political stagnation...," Mishaal told a rally in the Syrian capital Damascus, according to Reuters. "I say it loudly, we will not enter a new truce and our people are preparing for a new round of conflict."
However, in the Gaza Strip a spokesman for the Movement said a decision on extending the calm is related to several conditions. "Pressure should be made on the (Israeli) occupation to compel them to answer these conditions before there are any new talks about extending the calm," Sami Abu Zuhri was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Hamas has been busy ahead of the Palestinian general elections, scheduled for 15 January 2006 and the views expressed Friday represent the differences between Hamas leadership abroad and the local leadership in the Palestinian lands. While the leadership abroad has been pushing for more hardline policy towards Israel, the local leadership prefers to secure a significant win in the upcoming election, enjoying a massive popular suuport by the Palestinian society. Observers claim that a military escalation with Israel might endanger Hamas' expected win.
