Hamas urges Palestinians to reject any peace deal

GAZA (Reuters) -- The leader of the militant Islamic group Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to reject any peace deal with Israel to emerge from a marathon Middle East peace summit.

"It is not peace. It is surrender imposed by America and Israel. Our people will not accept it," spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin told thousands at a mass wedding the group helped organise for 130 couples in the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip.

	MESSAGE BOARD
Mideast peace

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Barak began the 10th day of a U.S.-brokered summit on Thursday to try to resolve the most sensitive issues of the 52-year-old conflict.

Hours after the summit had been declared dead, U.S. President Bill Clinton announced that Barak and Arafat had decided to continue the talks while he went to the Group of Eight summit in Japan.

Yassin told the grooms and the brides sitting behind them, their faces clear of makeup and heads covered with scarves in Moslem tradition, that neither the United States nor Israel could force the Palestinians to give up their rights.

He called on them to follow the example set by the Iranian-backed Hizbollah guerrillas who fought to oust Israel from a self-declared occupation zone in south Lebanon. Israel ended its 22-year occupation in May.

"The (Israeli) enemy understands only the language of force. We will keep on our fight until the day of victory and liberation," he added.

Hamas has taken responsibility for attacks in Israel that killed or wounded scores of people.

Under pressure from Israel to crack down on Hamas and other militant movements, the Palestinian Authority shut down 16 charities and educational institutions connected with the group in September 1997.

But through its contacts, Hamas continues to help organising events like Thursday's wedding.

"The Palestinian people will not kneel and will not surrender to the Israeli enemy. Only force can push the enemy to retreat and we are those who love to become martyrs," Yassin said, calling on the happy couples and their guests to join a protest against the summit on Saturday.

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