GAZA -- The Hamas movement Thursday mourned the passing of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, but vowed to continue its armed attacks against Israel.
"With deep grief and sadness we mourn Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, the great leader and the symbol of the Palestinian people and Palestine Liberation Organization," said a statement signed by Hamas and sent to reporters.
It said that Arafat had spent most of his life serving the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian struggle in order to defend it in the international community's organizations and institutions.
"In order to keep the legal Palestinian cause, President Arafat faced all kinds of pain, siege and harm," said the Hamas leaflet, adding that "losing a leader like Arafat would empower us."
"We vow that the strategy of jihad and resistance to confront the Zionist enemy will never stop until victory and liberation are achieved with the help of Allah," said the statement.
