Hamas may recognize previous agreements between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority, said the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper on
Thursday.
The Arabic-language newspaper cited Khaled Masha’al chair of the politburo of Hamas as saying that the Palestinian government is not obliged to accept or reject the signed agreements as package, at a time Israel is choosing what to implement or not.
Mash’al also said that he is proud that Hamas captured the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and that he will not be released unless in a prisoners swap deal.
On the Qatari mediatory role, Masha’al said that this initiative was faced by the American insistence that Hamas should comply with the Quartet conditions which mainly call Hamas to recognize Israel and the previously signed agreements with the Palestinians and to renounce violence.
The Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Jasim Bin-Hamad Al-Thani arrived to Palestine in an attempt to bridge the gap between the two main rival parties, Fatah and Hamas with a proposal of six points to form a national unity government.
Both Fatah and Hamas welcomed the Qatari mediation, however the Qatari minister went back home without achieving his goals.
On the other hand, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine criticized the Qatari initiative and described it as an attempt to form a Palestinian unity government with American specifications.
