Hamas says Livni means pursuit of Israeli aggression

"Livni’s accession to power would signify the same policy of repression and aggression against the Palestinian people carried out by previous Zionist leaders," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said in a statement.

 

"We must remain committed to resistance as a strategy to defend our rights," he added.

 

Livni, currently Israel’s foreign minister, won the leadership of the centrist Kadima party on Wednesday in a vote to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who is standing down to fight corruption allegations.

 

Hamas, regarded as a terrorist group by Israel, has ruled the Gaza Strip since June last year when it routed forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas after days of bloody street battles. Â