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by Saud Abu Ramadan
GAZA/RAMALLAH, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians voiced on Monday disappointment following a declaration of an agreement reached between Turkey and Israel, which has clearly showed that Israel would keep its blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.
A Hamas official, whose Islamic movement rules the Gaza Strip, told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that Hamas leaders are not very happy with the details of the agreement because it would keep the Israeli blockade imposed on the coastal enclave, which has been going on for ten years.
"I think it is still very early to make a judgment on the agreement. Our ties with Turkey are strategic and won't be influenced by this agreement," said the official, adding that his movement considers the deal "an internal Turkish affair and Hamas movement won't intervene into it."
Earlier on Sunday, Mustafa Sawaf, a Gaza-based political analyst close to Hamas, told Xinhua that although Hamas is not satisfied with the deal because it won't completely end the Israeli blockade, it considers the Israeli relaxation of the blockade as a positive sign that may lead to lifting it completely in the future.
On Monday, Israeli and Turkish leaders said they had reached an agreement that ends around six years of severing political and economical ties between the two countries following the deadly Israeli commandos attack on Turkish ships that were carrying aid to Gaza in 2010, killing eight Turkish activists.
The deal would enable Turkey to increase its humanitarian aid to the Gaza, ship Turkish goods and products to the enclave via Israeli seaports, and open large investments in the Palestinian territories, mainly in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier on Monday, Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas leader, wrote on his Facebook page that his movement didn't agree or accept the agreement, adding that his movement considers the deal a Turkish affair and Hamas is not related to it.
Reyad al-Malki, the Palestinian minister of foreign affairs told "Voice of Palestine" Radio earlier on Monday that any Turkish arrangements in the Palestinian territories; Gaza and the West Bank "have to be coordinated with the Palestinian (National) Authority (PNA) government."
"We consider the Israeli-Turkish agreement an issue that is related to decisions made by countries that look for resuming their bilateral ties," al-Malki said, adding "we welcome any effort that helps improving the living situation in Gaza, but the PNA doesn't intervene in such issues."
Before the declaration of the agreement between Israel and Turkey, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received a phone call from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to al-Malki, who said that both Abbas and Erdogan agreed that there will be full coordination between Turkey and the PNA.
Two days ago, Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal headed a delegation that visited Turkey and met with Erdogan to understand more about the details of the deal. Hamas leaders then said that Turkey promised that it will keep its efforts to end the Israeli blockade that is imposed on the Gaza Strip.
The Islamic Jihad movement, based in Gaza, slammed the deal between Turkey and Israel.
It said in an emailed press statement that the Islamic Jihad refuses "any reconciliation or normalization with the Zionist enemy," adding "the siege that has been imposed on the Gaza Strip for ten years should be immediately lifted."
Israel imposed a blockade on the Gaza right after Gaza militants kidnapped the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006, who was later released in 2010 in an Egypt-brokered prisoners swap deal. In 2007, Israel tightened the blockade after Hamas' violent takeover of the enclave. Enditem
