Hamas, Jihad conditionally welcome arrival of Jordan-based Palestinian militia into Gaza

Palestinian militant groups on Sunday expressed conditional welcome to the prospected return of Bader Force, a Jordan-based Palestinian militia loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas to Gaza.

The ruling Hamas movement and the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) militants said Bader forces, if returned from Jordan to Gaza, should join the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation and maintain national interests.

"If Bader forces came to stop any kind of resistance or to protect Israeli settlements, then they would be unwelcome," said Khaled al-Batsh of the Islamic Jihad.

Recent Israeli reports said that Abbas has asked Israel to allow the entry of those forces, which belong to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), from Jordan to Gaza Strip in order to boost Abbas' power.

Abbas' office says the forces would be used to help ending an increasing state of disorder and lawlessness in Gaza Strip.

The ruling Hamas movement expressed conditional welcome to the prospected deployment similar to that of the Islamic Jihad.

"Hamas movement welcomes Bader forces under the fact that they come to work on liberating the land from the Israeli occupation," says Hamas leader Khalil Abu Laila.

"There is no force in the world can stop the Palestinians from defending themselves. Even Israel itself can not do this," added Abu Laila. But he expressed confidence that Bader forces "would join the Palestinian resistance against Israel."

Palestinian ambassador to Jordan, Attalla Khairi, said Sunday that the forces might arrive in Gaza before the end of the year to put an end for the lawlessness there.

Source: Xinhua