BBC Monitoring

Text of report by Palestinian Ma'an News Agency website

    ["Hamas Accuses Palestine Satellite Channel Television of Featuring Footage Showing Movement Members, Saying That It Will Deal With Those Responsible as Collaborators With the Occupation" - Ma'an headline]

    Gaza, 14 June (Ma'an) - The Martyr Izz al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, accused Palestine Satellite Channel Television of broadcasting footage showing some members of the group digging a tunnel. In a statement, a copy of which reached Ma'an, the group says that "the television claimed that the men were digging a tunnel under the house of President Mahmud Abbas in Gaza. We would like to make clear that the tunnel shown is not in Gaza, and does not lead to Abbas's house."

    The statement goes on to say that "showing mujahidin as committing such an act is high treason and a free tip to the Zionist airplanes, allowing them to assassinate the mujahidin. We will not let those who showed these pictures walk away scot-free and will deal with them as collaborators with the occupation." The statement goes on to say that "broadcasting such footage at a time like this is a desperate attempt to distort the image of the Al-Qassam Brigades," stressing that tunnels are used only against the occupation. The statement also says that "this channel should change its name and stop deceiving the public."

    Palestine Television showed men digging a tunnel and said that Hamas dug it under Abbas's house.

    Source: Ma'an News Agency website, Bethlehem, in Arabic 0729 gmt 14 Jun 07