Al-Aqsa Brigades: "We will not disarm."
 

The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has announced it will not disarm after Israel's pullout from Gaza. The Interior Ministry has however warned that armed groups will not be tolerated. "We will continue to brandish our weapons in the face of the (Israeli) occupation as Gaza is only the first step towards the liberation of all of the land of Palestine," a statement from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said on Wednesday. "The appeals by the interior ministry and other parties to give up our weapons are irrelevant." Opposition: The Palestinian Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday that it would oppose the presence of any irregular armed groups in Gaza after the pullout of Israeli soldiers from the territory, which should be wrapped next month. "The Palestinian Authority and the elected political leadership will not permit armed groups and private armies to be present in Palestinian zones where the (Israeli) occupation has ended," a statement said. Palestinian resistance movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad have also made clear that they will not disarm after the pullout.