May 18, 2002	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 5, 1423

TYRE (Lebanon) May 17: Suicide bombers will keep striking Israel until a Palestinian state is created, the spokesman in Lebanon for the Islamic radical group Hamas said on Friday.

“The martyr operations as well as the resistance will continue until the building of a Palestinian state,” Ossama Hamdan, told a crowd of 5,000 at a rally at the Al-Bass Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon.

Hamdan also criticised the Palestinian Authority for recent moves that have turned Palestinian fighters over to international custody, warning “those who have reached such a deal and have imprisoned Palestinian militants are not worthy of the confidence of the Palestinian people.”

Six Palestinian militants were jailed under international guard in the West Bank city of Jericho on May 1, in return for Israel’s lifting of its month-long house arrest of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah.

Last Friday, Israel’s 38-day siege of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity ended with 13 Palestinian militants transferred temporarily to Cyprus, where they are waiting for various European countries to take them into exile.

A Palestinian official said on Thursday Hamas had told Saudi Arabia it is willing to stop suicide bombings on Israeli territory.

However, a senior Hamas leader denied the claims.

“This information is false. Hamas’ choice remains one of resistance in all forms while Palestinian territory is under occupation,” Ismael Abu Shanab, one of the top leaders of the radical Islamic group in the Gaza Strip said.

“Hamas has not been contacted by anyone on the issue,” Abu Shanab added.—AFP