Hamas’ brand of “Fast Jihad” isn’t fast enough for al-Zawahiri. No indication in this article if he mentioned a Palestinian jihad group he likes better; it will be interesting to observe how Hamas may respond to this scolding. “Al-Zawahiri: Hamas has surrendered,” from Al Jazeera:
Ayman al-Zawahri, the number two leader in al-Qaeda, has accused Hamas of “submission” for agreeing to form a Palestinian national unity government.
Al-Zawahiri said Hamas had “fallen into the swamp of surrender” by accepting a Saudi-brokered deal with the US-backed Fatah faction in Mecca, in an audio recording broadcast by Al Jazeera on Sunday.
“The leadership of Hamas surrendered to the Jews, most of Palestine” in order to keep leadership of the Palestinian government, he said.
Hamas and Fatah agreed a month ago to forge a coalition cabinet, largely ending factional fighting centred in the Gaza Strip where more than 90 people died.
Zawahiri said: “Hamas has sold out so it can keep a hold of a third of government.
“But what government? A government that doesn’t even have the right to enter or leave [the Palestinian territories] without Israeli permission.”
He said: “The leadership of Hamas government has committed an aggression against the rights of the Islamic nation by accepting what it called … respecting international agreements.
“I am sorry to have to offer the Islamic nation my condolences for the [virtual demise] of the Hamas leadership as it has fallen in the quagmire of surrender.”