Gaza, Dec 15 (IANS): The Hamas movement has called for internal unity and popular resistance against Israel as it marked 33 years of its creation.
In a statement on Monday, Hamas said that it would continue efforts to achieve an internal Palestinian unity and a real partnership with all powers and factions representing the Palestinian people everywhere, reports Xinhua news agency.
"As the movement marks 33 years of its creation, Hamas calls for unifying the strategy of struggle against the occupier (Israel) to confront all the challenges that the Palestinian cause is passing through," the statement added.
The statement called on the Palestinian Authority to withdraw from the Oslo accords signed with Israel in 1993 and support the popular resistance, especially in the West Bank, to confront Israel's annexation plan.
Hamas would cooperate with all Palestinian powers "to confront the wave of Arab normalization with Israel", as "normalization is a betrayal to Palestine", it said.
The movement was founded in December 1987 by the late spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
Since it won the 2006 Palestinian legislative election and became the de facto governing authority of the Gaza Strip following the 2007 Battle of Gaza, Israel and Hamas have engaged in several wars.
Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and the US classify Hamas as a terrorist organisation.