| July 7, 2008 MP Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, one of
the prominent Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, on Monday denied
press reports that his Movement was ready to hand over security
premises in the Strip to the PA leadership in return for the
formation of a national unity government.
He told PIC that the report was completely "inaccurate",
noting that the talk about formation of a national unity
government was untimely.
The MP stressed that Hamas would never accept to return the
preventive security apparatus to its former status in the Strip.
Hamas accepts, however, to discuss all issues at the dialog
table including the restructuring of the security apparatuses on
correct national basis, he elaborated.
Asked on Abbas's refusal to meet Khaled Mishaal, the supreme
Hamas leader, in Damascus, Zahhar said that Abbas had no
permission from the West to do so. He affirmed that Hamas
leaders were not wishing for any speedy meeting with Abbas or
any of his entourage.
European countries offered to mediate in
prisoners' swap deal
In another development, the Hamas Movement has revealed that
European and non European mediators had offered their good
offices on the prisoners' exchange deal between Israel and the
Palestinian resistance factions.
Dr. Ismail Radwan, a prominent Hamas political leader in the
Gaza Strip, said that his Movement deals with all offers with
the aim of serving Egyptian efforts to complete the exchange
deal.
He said in a press statement on Sunday that Hamas suspended
indirect talks over the exchange of captured soldier Gilad
Shalit due to Israel's non-adherence to the calm conditions.
The Hamas leader denied press reports that Egypt had stopped
its mediation in the inter-Palestinian dialog, explaining that
Egypt did not start such mediation in the first place.
He charged that the American veto on such dialog was the main
obstacle before its initiation, recalling that American
secretary of state Condoleezza Rice had said that Hamas should
first recognize all international agreements before such dialog
could start.
Radwan asked PA chief Mahmoud Abbas, who is currently in
Damascus, to shun American pressures and to start a
comprehensive, national dialog under an Arab umbrella.
Meanwhile, an Israeli public opinion poll published by the
Hebrew press on Sunday said that 70% of Israelis supported a
prisoners' swap deal with Hamas that would include releasing
Palestinian prisoners "with Jewish blood on their hands". |
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