BREAKING: HAMAS LEADER CALLS FOR PALESTINIAN INTIFADA AGAINST ISRAEL

Hamas PM calls for uprising in West Bank

GAZA, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Deposed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya on Tuesday called for popular uprising in the West Bank to protest Israel's decision to include religious shrines there in the Jewish state's list of national heritage sites.

In a ceremony Hamas organized in Gaza against the Israeli government's declaration to consider Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Cave of the Patriarchs (Sanctuary of Abraham) in Hebron Jewish places, Haneya said the West Bank people must respond "with a popular Intifada and a practical response."

Haneya added that Israel was trying "to bury the Islamic and Palestinian signs and under estimating the Palestinian negotiators " through peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

Haneya said the PNA, which rules the West Bank, cracks down against Hamas supporters and the Palestinian fighters there. He called on the PNA "to stop security liaison with Israel and free the political prisoners."

Meanwhile, Haneya, whose Hamas movement seized control of Gaza by force in 2007, called on the "Arab nation to support the resistance" and break the Israeli-led siege on the Gaza Strip.

On the internal level, Haneya, whose movement's term in the parliament expired in January, said there will be no elections unless a Palestinian reconciliation is reached. However, Hamas rejected an Egyptian proposal to reconcile with Fatah and raised reservations.

[link to news.xinhuanet.com]