The deputy leader of Hamas, Saleh Arouri, said his group will uphold close ties with Iran and maintain its weapons, directly rejecting Israeli preconditions for peace negotiations, The Daily Star reported Oct. 23. On Oct. 17, the Israeli government announced it would not negotiate with the Palestinian unity government until Hamas disarmed and cut ties with Iran, among other things. Arouri said Palestinian resistance forces will never give up arms and Israeli remarks will not change the official Palestinian position to move forward with reconciliation with Fatah. On Oct. 12, Fatah and Hamas signed a historic unity agreement , ending a decade of conflict between the two rival Palestinian parties.