Palestinian militant group slams decision to wipe out rocket shops

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of the ruling Fatah movement, slammed on Saturday a decision by Interior Minister Nasser Youssef to wipe out rocket workshops in the Gaza Strip.

"Our resistance is legal and will be continued. We will keep our arms to fight the Zionists' campaign of terrorism against our people," the group said in a press communique.

Youssef, also in charge of the Palestinian security forces, said on Saturday in press statements that the security apparatuses will not storm Palestinian houses searching for weapons, but it will make all efforts to seize illegal arms, which are deemed to help foster crimes and chaos.

"We will deal seriously with any workshops or factories that produce weapons and explosives and those used for keeping arms," Youssef said, adding that these workshops are not allowed to exit especially after the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza last month.

Violence has resurged in the Gaza Strip over the past week as Israel renewed air strikes in northern Gaza, in an attempt to exterminate launching pads used by Palestinian militants, mainly Islamic Jihad, to fire rockets against Israeli targets.

The tough military offensives were triggered after five Israelis were killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber on Wednesday in the northern Israeli city of Hadera.

At least eight Palestinians have been killed in the refreshed air strikes in Gaza.

The communique termed Youssef's statements as protection of Israel.

Source: Xinhua