Hamas pledges to crackdown on rocket-firing squads

March 12th, 2009

GAZA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Hamas authorities in the Gaza Strip on Thursday slammed rocket attacks against Israel, pledging to stop them.

    "The factions of resistance have no relations with the rockets that are being fired from Gaza. They are being fired in the wrong time and we confirm the security services are following up those who stand behind these rockets," Hamas' Interior Ministry said.

    The statement of the ministry came after a new group calling itself "Hezbollah of Palestine" used to fire rockets against Israel almost every couple of days and claim responsibility for these attacks.

    But sources from Hamas said the Hezbollah of Palestine was "a fake name used by more than one side to carry out actions away from the national understanding."

    In February, Hamas has arrested a member of the local Hezbollah group for keeping firing rockets into Israel despite Hamas' willingness to broker a ceasefire with Israel.

    The Hezbollah of Palestine first became public after a six-month fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel collapsed in December.

    Israel did not deal willingly with Egypt's efforts to renew the ceasefire and Hamas stopped firing rockets at the Jewish state after Israel ended its major war in the Gaza Strip in January.