GAZA: Islamic Jihad movement rejected Monday a call by deposed Hamas government prime minister Ismail Haneya in Gaza for renewing a mutual truce with Israel.
Nafez Azzam, a senior Islamic Jihad leader, said, "Israel should be fully committed to the ceasefire agreement with the Palestinians, before asking the Palestinians to be committed to it."
"The Israeli occupation is the one which violated the ceasefire. The occupation hasn't stopped its ongoing military offensive, and what we do is to defend ourselves," said Azzam.
In a statement published Sunday, Haneya's office proposed to renew a mutual ceasefire reached in Nov 2006 between Israel and the Palestinians.
The statement explained that the ceasefire would be observed in exchange for lifting the Israeli closure imposed on the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized control of the coastal enclave in mid-June.
The Islamic Jihad movement refused either to join any Palestinian government, or to participate in any elections.
It also refused to stop attacks, mainly homemade rockets, from Gaza at Israel.
"The Palestinians are defending themselves, and they can never be responsible for the current military escalation," said Azzam.
