An aide to deposed prime minister of Hamas-led government Ismail Haneya said Sunday that the Islamic Hamas movement supports economic disconnection from Israel.
However, Ahmed Yousef said that his movement did not want to separate the Gaza Strip from the rest of the Palestinian territories, which was occupied by Israel in 1967.
"The West Bank and Gaza is one united geographical unit," Yousef underlined before the reporters, adding that "What I was talking about is to stop keeping Gaza under the economic subordination of Israel and stop using economy to blackmail the Palestinians."
He continued that "Our idea doesn't annul the fact that Gaza is still under the Israeli occupation, but all what we want is to breath freedom, find job opportunities, develop agriculture and promote commerce."
Since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip after the Islamic movement routed Palestinian security forces and Fatah members loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas in mid-June, 2007, Israel closed all crossing points linking the Gaza enclave and limited the daily supplies to it.
In order to shake off the economic shackles put by Israel, the de facto Gaza ruler Hamas movement endeavored to seek alternative economic backup.
On Saturday, Haneya told the Gaza-based pro-Hamas Daily Palestine that "Gaza must keep stronger economic links with Egyptas a way of economic disconnection from Israel."
He said that Hamas wants to have the economy of the Gaza Strip disconnected with Israel, receiving food, fuel and electricity from Egypt instead.
"We have said during our election campaign in 2006 that we are seeking to move toward an economic disengagement from the Israeli occupation," Haneya said, adding "Egypt has a greater ability to meet the needs of Gaza."
Source:Xinhua
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