Khaled Mishaal, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, stated Monday that the building of the steel wall on the Palestinian-Egyptian borders is a new war against Gaza people and their resistance.

　　In a televised statement, Mishaal recalled remarks made by UNRWA commissioner-general Karen Abu Zaid in which she described this wall as more dangerous than the Bar Lev Line built by Israel in 1967.

　　“The victory of Gaza did not appeal to those who wagered on the defeat of the resistance and there is a desire to tighten the screw on the resistance which showed fortitude in the face of the occupation,” the Hamas political leader underlined.

　　The Hamas leader said, in anther context, that the Palestinian Authority (PA) kidnaps and tortures the resistance fighters in the West Bank under the supervision of US officer Keith Dayton and the Israeli occupation and closes civil institutions and municipal councils because of their affiliation with Hamas.

　　He added that what is happening in the West Bank is a massacre aimed to eradicate Hamas.

　　In a related context, the Movement of Hamas strongly denounced Monday Mahmoud Abbas for supporting the building of the steel wall, as well as his aide Azzam Al-Ahmed for calling for a popular revolt against the Palestinian government in Gaza.

　　“We in Hamas condemn these irresponsible remarks which confirm that the Oslo group still incites against the Palestinian people and takes part in the blockade and starvation of our people in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas emphasized.

　　Hamas said that the concurrence of these serious PA remarks and positions with the construction of the steel wall and the Israeli military escalations in Gaza indicate there are preparations for a new war on Gaza.

　　For its part, the Los Angeles Times newspaper said that the underground steel wall to be constructed by Egypt along its borders with Gaza was dubbed a "wall of shame" by Arab writers and politicians who charge that Cairo is siding with Israel in besieging 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Strip.

　　The newspaper added that the Arab writers considered Egypt’s construction of this wall a total obedience to the American recommendations and an attempt to please Israel.

　　It stressed that the controversy over this wall does not only highlight Egypt's close geographical and emotional ties to the Palestinians, but also the complex political dilemma it faces in attempting to undercut Hamas.

　　The newspaper noted that the wall prompted a number of Egyptian lawmakers to file reports to the attorney general against premier Ahmed Nazif.

　　PHOTO CAPTION

　　Heavy machinery is seen on the Egyptian side of the border with the Gaza Strip December 22, 2009.

　　Source: Agencies