Officail: Hamas Won't Form Gov't Recognizes Israel
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A senior Islamic Hamas movement official reiterated on Tuesday that his movement wouldn't accept forming a new unity government that recognizes the Jewish state.
Ismail Radwan said in a statement sent to reporters "We won't deal with any proposal or project, presented to the movement, that calls for abiding by the international Quartet requirements or recognizing Israel."
The commitments to the Quartet's requirements is the core of substantial differences between the Islamic movement that rules the Gaza Strip and west-supported President Mahmoud Abbas.
So far, a marathon and intensive dialogue held in Cairo between the two sides in March, which will be resumed on April 26, had failed to overcome major differences, mainly to agree on the platform of any new unity government.
"Forming any Palestinian government that commits itself to the Quartet's requirements and recognizing Israel as a legitimate state on the land of Palestine is not on Hamas Agenda," said Radwan.
Radwan expressed hope that the coming third round of dialogue expected on April 26 "would be more flexible and positive in order to overcome our differences and achieve our national unity."
Meanwhile, chief Palestinian negotiator to the dialogue with Hamas Ahmed Qurei said in a statement that the coming round of inter-reconciliation dialogue "will be final and decisive."
He accused Hamas movement for being hard in its position and not changing it in spite of several rounds of dialogue, adding that "Fatah is keen to make this dialogue success and is not intending to give up."
"We are still having the same differences on four major issues: reforming the PLO, the security forces, the political platform and the upcoming elections. So far we haven't moved on inch in any of the four issues," said Qurei.
(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2009)