Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    GAZA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement on Wednesday said there will be no regret if Israel decided to withdraw from a ceasefire deal which Egypt brokered in the Gaza Strip.

    "There is no regret if Israel decided to cancel the lull and Hamas is ready to defend the dignity of the Palestinian people," said Ismail Radwan, a spokesman for Hamas in the strip.

    The Hamas-Israel ceasefire took effect on June 19 to restore calm and ease the sanctions which Israel imposed on the Hamas-controlled territory for more than one year.

    Radwan admitted that the ceasefire "did not make any change and its obligations were not completely carried out," referring to Israel which did not open the commercial crossings into Gaza properly despite Hamas' full commitment to end the rocket attacks into the Jewish state.

    "Hamas accepted the lull to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people and to take advantage of the calm to boost and reinforce our force," Radwan said, adding Hamas will launch a campaign to show the world that Gaza siege is still in place.

    Israel imposed the sanctions when Hamas ousted the long-dominant Fatah and seized the territory in June 2007.