While Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says it will be business as usual with Israel after the expected formation of a new Palestinian government this week, one of Hamas’ leading officials told reporters on Saturday that security cooperation with Israel will not continue. The Hamas-Fatah unity government was sworn in earlier today.

Deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau Moussa Abu Marzouk made the comment when speaking in Arabic to reporters. He said the movement has not and will not reach agreement on this issue.

Another senior Hamas staffer made clear the organization would continue pursuing the path of “resistance.”

Muhammad Nazal was quoted by the organization’s official organ as saying that Hamas would not abandon the path of “resistance,” or violence against Israel — a path the Islamist group shares with the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization Hezbollah.

Nazal said Hamas would remain committed to resistance “in all its forms” until Palestine becomes “free.”

These commitments to resistance and ending security coordination with Israel, which are fully aligned with Hamas’ charter, came just a couple of days after Abbas described the joint security work with Israel as “sacred.”

Yet less than a month ago it became clear that Abbas was prepared to let Hamas keep its arsenal, meaning there would be a paramilitary organization operating within the Palestinian government much the same way Hezbollah acts in Lebanon.

[Photo: Soman / Wiki Commons]