Jerusalem (CNN) -- The prime minister of the Hamas government in Gaza denied Wednesday Israeli claims of an al Qaeda presence in the coastal strip, claiming there is no such thing.
Speaking to reporters, Ismail Haniya said there was an active Palestinian resistance in Gaza but that it "does not work outside of the borders of Palestine".
He said recent Israeli accusations that al Qaeda had secured a foothold in the Palestinian territory were "an illusion" and were being used a pretext for future Israeli military action in Gaza and to incite American and international public opinion against Palestinians.
The remarks were made in reference to Israel's targeted killings last month of two Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli military claimed the victims were senior operatives of an al Qaeda inspired radical group known as the Army of Islam and were planning attacks against Israeli and American targets in the Sinai Peninsula.
Haniya said he had written a letter to Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, assuring him that no Palestinian resistance groups were operating in the Sinai Peninsula. CNN
