Hamas calls on Hezbollah to pull forces out of Syria

Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, on Monday called on the Lebanese Shiite group of Hezbollah to withdraw its militiamen from Syria. In a statement on Monday, Hamas said Hezbollah should keep its guns aimed only "against the Israeli occupation." It is reported that Hezbollah has become increasingly embroiled in the Syrian conflict by dispatching fighters to battle alongside the government troops, most notably in al-Qussair, a former rebel stronghold that had served as a conduit for weapons and fighters streaming in from Lebanon. "The Syrian people have the right to gain their rights, hopes and aspirations and live with freedom and dignity. The Syrian people have always stayed to (the) side of the legal resistance against the (Israeli) occupation," said the statement. Following the violent unrest in Syria that erupted over two years ago, Hamas supported the so-called "uprising" against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and withdrew its politburo leadership from their long-time base in Damascus. Hamas, a Sunni group adopting moderate Islam, is an extension of the worldwide Muslim Brotherhood movement, which in recent years swept elections in Egypt and Tunisia.