GAZA, Sept 25, 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Abu Zuhri, spokesman of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said Sunday night that the movement's sudden decision to end all military operations in the Gaza Strip " is an initiative to stop the Israeli military escalation against our people".
Abu Zuhri told reporters that this decision was courageously taken with responsibility to serve the highest interests of our people and stop Israeli army escalation against them, adding that the ball now is at the Israeli playground.
There is a serious targeting and serious escalation based on achieving interests in the elections of primaries in Israel's ruling Likud party, and we aimed at blocking the road for those who want to blackmail the situation to serve their interests, he said.
The Hamas spokesman noted that if stopping attacks on Israel is pouring into the interests of the Palestinian people, we would continue with calm, and if our people's interests are with escalation, we would escalate.
Abu Zuhri also said that when Hamas says it wants to stop military operations, it means only in the Gaza Strip and not the entire Palestinian territories.
Earlier On Sunday night, Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahhar announced that the movement decided to halt all its military operations in the Gaza Strip.
He explained that the movement made the announcement because it is more concerned with the highest interests of the Palestinian people and more interested in protecting our people from the tough strikes of the "Zionists".
Committing to Cairo calmness agreement and keeping the highest interests of our people and being committed to ending all phenomena of arms, we decided to halt all our military operations in the Gaza Strip, stressed al-Zahhar.
Palestinian sources said that the Hamas decision came after a meeting held between the movement's leaders and a senior Egyptian security delegation in Gaza.