Damascus, Syria (CNN) -- The political leader of Hamas said in an interview Monday that the Islamist group will continue to fight what he called Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, declaring the group's resistance "a legitimate and just cause, and therefore we will win no matter what".
Khaled Meshaal's comments on CNN International's "Prism" come amid a turning point in recently renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. New construction began at settlement sites in the disputed West Bank territory Monday, just hours after the expiration of a 10-month Israeli government moratorium on building.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas publicly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend the moratorium "for three or four months while there are negotiations under way".
Hamas, a rival to Abbas' Fatah Party, is not participating in the talks, and Meshaal dismissed the negotiations as another publicity move by an American president.
CNN
