A senior Islamic Hamas movement leader on Sunday called on the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to annul Oslo peace accords signed with Israel in 1993 and adopt the strategy of armed struggle.

Mahmoud al-Zahar, the Gaza Hamas strongman, made the remarks to the PNA and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah Party in a rally held in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis to mark the 29th anniversary for Hamas.

"We call on the PNA and Fatah Party to annul Oslo accords, get rid of security cooperation with the occupation (Israel) and adopt the strategy of armed resistance for liberating the occupied territories," said al-Zahar.

Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, the Islamic movement's quadriplegic spiritual leader, who was assassinated by Israel in 2004 in Gaza, founded Hamas on Dec. 15. The group carried out dozens of attacks that killed and wounded hundreds of Israelis.

"If the PNA and Fatah meet our demands, Hamas is ready to back them and stay on their side," said al-Zahar, adding that his movement refused to recognize Israel and opposed the peace process in the Middle East.

The United States, Israel and Europe are listing Hamas movement among the world terrorist groups. Hamas insists that the liberation of the occupied lands of Palestine can only be accomplished through what it terms as "armed resistance."

Although pragmatic Hamas had earlier accepted the establishment of a Palestinian state on the territories Israel seized in 1967, al-Zahar told the rally that "all Palestine from the Mediterranean to the Jordanian River is our homeland."

source: Xinhua