CAIRO, February 1, 2006 (IslalmOnline.net & News
Agencies) A Palestinian Authority official denied Wednesday, February 1,
news reports that the Palestinian resistance group Hamas would have to
recognize Israel to join the next government as the group hints at
renewing last year's expired ceasefire with Israel.
The Palestinian official said on condition of anonymity that
formal recognition of Israel would not be a prerequisite for Hamas or any
other Palestinian group joining the new government, Reuters
reported.
Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman reportedly said on
Wednesday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who held talks with
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, would not ask Hamas to form a government
unless the group recognized Israel and stop violence.
Suleiman is Mubarak's pointman on dealings with the
Palestinians. He has mediated between Hamas and Abbas's Fatah movement, on
the one hand, and between Israelis and Palestinians, on the
other.
Hamas has swept the Palestinian legislative elections,
winning a surprising 74 of the 132-seat legislature, against 45 for the
ruling Fatah party.
The resistance group has come under mounting pressures from
Western countries to recognize Israel to secure flow of foreign aid to the
Palestinians.
The Middle East peacemaking Quartet, which groups the US, EU,
Russia and the UN, warned Monday, January 30, that payments to the
Palestinians would be under threat if Hamas did not radically alter its
principle on Israel's recognition before entering government.
Reacting to the Quartet demands, the resistance group accused
the West of blackmailing.
Past Agreements
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Abu Marzouk said Hamas could renew
last year's ceasefire with
Israel.
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The Palestinian official, who is close to Abbas, stressed
that the new government must commit itself to implementing agreements with
Israel.
"President (Mahmoud) Abbas's position is that he will ask any
government to work on implementing the commitments of the Palestinian
Authority, including an interim peace accord from 1993 and the US-backed
peace roadmap," the official said.
"This has been his position and he has declared it
immediately after the election," he added.
In an interview with Egypt's independent daily Al Masry Al
Yom, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit said Hamas might be
willing to coexist with Israel if Israel returns to the 1967
borders.
"I believe that Hamas is talking about the borders of 1967
and in this they do not differ much from all the Palestinian national
currents or the Arab proposal," he said.
Being in office would have an effect on Hamas thinking, he
said. "The whole dossier will be in its hands, which leads me to believe
that logically it (Hamas) will be compelled towards the greatest degree of
flexibility."
A delegation from Hamas crossed into Egypt Wednesday and was
due to hold talks in Cairo on the first leg of a tour of Arab
countries.
Palestinian representative to the Arab League Mohammed Sobeih
told Agence France-Presse (AFP) earlier that a meeting was scheduled to
take place in Gaza Friday, February 3, during which Abbas and Hamas
officials were expected to discuss the formation of the
government.
Truce
A senior Hamas figure, meanwhile, said the resistance group
could renew last year's ceasefire with Israel to placate Western countries
concerned after the group's stunning electoral victory.
"We understand that they (the Western states) need a quiet
region, without conflicts, and we know that it's possible to attain this
goal. Truce is one of the projects through which we could deal with,"
Hamas politburo deputy-chief Moussa told reporters.
"I believe that this (ceasefire) would placate everybody if
they understand Hamas's stand and talk to Hamas on these
grounds."
"I believe that this is one of the options which we could
propose in the future to cooperate with the international community to
bring about peace and tranquillity to this region," he added.
Palestinian resistance factions had observed a de facto truce
since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was elected in January,
2004.
The shaky truce has repeatedly been put to the test by
Israeli assassinations of resistance activists and incessant attacks on
civilians.
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