Al Qaeda's Zawahri tells Hamas don't accept truce

By Inal Ersan

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's second-in-command urged Palestinians in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip not to succumb to Arab pressure for a truce with Israel and vowed to support fighting against the Jewish state.

The militant leader, in a recording posted on the Internet on Monday, also called on Muslims in Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia to press ahead with fighting "crusaders" -- a term used to denote the West -- and their agents.

"Israel's Arab aides are trying to impose a calm (truce) on the people of Gaza to stop their jihad ... I tell our brothers and folk in Gaza that jihad to liberate Palestine and all Islamic land should not stop," Ayman al-Zawahri said.

Zawahri's message comes as Al Qaeda leaders are placing more emphasis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- a central issue for many Arabs and Muslims -- in an apparent effort to widen their support and influence there.

But intelligence officials see little evidence al Qaeda has established a presence in Palestinian areas. Analysts say it faces competition, in particular in Gaza, from the well-established Hamas.

Egypt has been negotiating a truce between Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Israel following an Israeli offensive late in December in the coastal strip to punish Hamas for firing rockets at Israeli towns. About 1,300 Palestinians were killed.

"I reaffirm to our brothers the fighters in Gaza and everywhere that the mujahideen against crusaders in various battle zones are willing to give their brothers in Gaza and everywhere training and preparation," said Zawahri.

"The mujahideen in Gaza should not be upset if the space (of action) had been narrowed as the whole world is our battlefield against targets (representing) the crusader-Zionist campaign."