Hamas leader Mahmud al-Zahar steps on an Israeli flag, with Arabic scrawled on it, as part of celebrations marking the 23rd anniversary of the Islamist movement’s foundation in Gaza City, Dec. 9, 2010. Photo: Mohammed Othman/Flash90.

JNS.org – The co-founder and senior leader of the Hamas terror organization acknowledged to an interviewer that the group is intentionally deceiving Gazans into taking part in violent riots against Israel along the security fence, according to a translation released by Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) on Wednesday.

When asked why Hamas and Palestinian Authority-controlling Fatah could not agree on a united platform, given their stated policy of peaceful resistance, Mahmoud al-Zahar told an Al Jazeera interviewer on Sunday that Hamas is using “clear terminological deception.”

“This is not peaceful resistance,” said al-Zahar. “Has the option [of violence] diminished? No.”

“So when we talk about ‘peaceful resistance,’ we are deceiving the public,” he stated. “This is a peaceful resistance bolstered by a military force and by security agencies, and enjoying tremendous popular support.”

He bolstered his comments by adding: “When you have weapons that are being wielded by men who were able to prevent the strongest army in the region from entering the Gaza Strip for 51 days, and were able to capture or kill soldiers of that army—is this really ‘peaceful resistance?’ ”