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Hamas denies receiving funds from Hizbullah
 Hamas officials denied reports that a Hamas Web site published a statement on Wednesday declaring that their Palestinian fighters had received funding and training from Hizbullah, a link long denied by Hamas leaders. "There is no such declaration on the Web site," said Hamas representative in Lebanon Ali Baraka.An article published by Reuters Wednesday said a site (www.alqassam.com) run by Hamas' armed wing Ezzedeen Al-Qassam published a statement that Hamas received funds from Hizbullah to set up its first Hamas cell in the occupied West Bank after an uprising began in 2000. Over the course of three years, members of the cell - 10 of whom were eventually killed or jailed by Israeli security forces - carried out attacks that killed 18 Israelis. "We are still investigating the source of this news. This is the second day in a row where Hamas' arms have been targeted by the media," said Baraka, referring to a separate statement published on Qassam's site that denied allegations by media outlets that the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades (EQB) are collecting weapons from resistance fighters in the northern Gaza Strip. Reuters quoted from the Web site Hamas member Jaser al-Barghouthi, who formed the cell and recruited its gunmen, as saying he had sent emissaries to Lebanon "to be trained by Hizbullah and return with needed funds." "There is no special link between Hizbullah and Hamas, especially given how difficult it is to transfer and move anyone or anything from the South of Lebanon to Gaza," said Baraka. Posted by: Fred 2006-02-16 |
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