国际英语新闻：Palestinian political factions say AL decision "not enough "

GAZA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Hamas and other Palestinian political factions said Saturday that the Arab League (AL) should take further actions to support the Palestinians, after the pan-Arab organization backed President Mahmoud Abbas to halt the direct talks with Israel.

The AL following-up committee, which convened on Friday in the Libyan city of Sirte, decided to support Abbas' decision to halt talks with Israel.

The AL decision "is not an enough step to support the Palestinian position in confronting the occupation (Israel)," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said.

"The Arabs must adopt a unified strategy that backs the armed Palestinian resistance and backs the Palestinians steadfastness on their land," he said.

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Fatah central committee last week decided to halt the direct peace talks with Israel after the latter refused to extend a 10-month moratorium, which expired on Sept. 26, on freezing settlement construction on the Palestinian territories.

The U.S.-sponsored direct Palestinian-Israeli talks were launched in Washington on Sept. 2. However, no progress has been achieved due to Israel's insistence not to freeze settlement after three rounds of talks held in the United States, Egypt and Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister of the Hamas government Ismail Haneya urged Arab leaders who are participating in the Arab League summit in Libya to make decisions on the Palestinian cause.

"Israeli aggressions, blockade and the Judaization of Jerusalem require clear and crucial decisions," he said.

The left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( PFLP) has said that the Arab leaders' decision "is not enough and goes on in a vicious circle."

"The Arabs' weak position would encourage Israel to keep carrying out practices against our people and lands," PFLP said.

The less-influential Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement also said the Arab states need to do more to protect their interests. Khaled al-Batch, a Gaza-based Islamic Jihad leader, told Al-Quds Radio in Gaza that the Arab states have abandoned their role in defending the Palestinian cause.

The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) said in a statement that the Arab leaders "who are meeting in Sirte are demanded to find a reference for the peace process and impose a timetable for the talks as well as ending the ongoing Israeli blockade on Gaza."

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli political source told Israel Radio that Israel is satisfied with the AL committee's decision of not stopping talks with Israel, which gave Israel one more month to rescue the Middle East peace process.