GAZA, (PIC)-- The Hamas Movement on Saturday said it was dismayed at the statements of secretary-general of the organization of Islamic conference Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu in which he condemned the "heroic operation in Jerusalem", stating that such statements provide the Israeli occupation with pretexts to justify its crimes against the Palestinian people.

In a statement received by the PIC, Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said that Ihsanoglu's statements collide with the nature of the "Jerusalem martyrdom operation" in its capacity as a reaction to the Israeli crimes. The raid also falls in line with the Palestinian people's natural right to self-defense, he underlined.

For his part, Israeli premier Ehud Olmert expressed his shock at the bold raid in Jerusalem, blaming PA chief Mamoud Abbas for not doing his utmost against the Palestinian resistance despite the ongoing repressive campaigns waged day and night by the PA security apparatuses against Hamas and Palestinian fighters in the West Bank.

The Hebrew radio on Saturday quoted Olmert as saying that the PA was not doing its best to stem the growth of the Palestinian resistance, threatening that the Israeli occupation cannot accept this situation any longer.