Hamas Says; Israeli Withdrawal 'Not Enough'

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The latest efforts to move the Middle East peace process forward are not enough, say Islamic groups. Israel has promised to pull out of two West Bank towns, Qalqilya and Jericho, with proposals for a withdrawal from Ramallah and Tulkarm over the next 10 days. But the Hamas group says Qalqilya is surrounded by a security wall anyway and Jericho has always been fairly quiet and in local hands during the 34-month-old Intifadha. Hamas spokesman, Ismail Abu-Shanab, said: "It's not enough. We need to see on the ground Israeli full withdrawal. We want our Palestinian prisoners to be released. Those are the main factors. Israel promises full withdrawal but on the ground they deploy their forces." Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians have been rallying in Gaza over the continued detention of some 7,000 prisoners in Israeli jails. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Senior Hamas leaders Ismail Abu Shanab, left, and Ismail Haneya, right, arrive for a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas at his office in Gaza city, Tuesday Aug. 5, 2003. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa

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