Hamas rejects disarmament talk as Palestinian reconciliation deadline looms

Hamas again refused to disarm Monday ahead of a key reconciliation deadline. The Palestinian movement instead threatened to carry out attacks against Israel in the occupied West Bank, AFP reports. By Friday, the Islamists are due to hand over control of the Gaza Strip to the internationally recognized Palestinian government, based in the West Bank. However, the future of their armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, remains unclear. “The weapons of the resistance are a red line that is non-debatable,” Khalil al-Hayya, deputy head of Hamas in Gaza, said, referring to the Qassam Brigades. “These weapons will be moved to the West Bank to fight the occupation.”