Hamas' political chief Khaled Mashaal was quoted Monday as saying that his movement was ready to start negotiations without preconditions with any international party, including the United States, but not with the "Zionist enemy."
Speaking from Damascus to the London based daily paper Al-Hayat Mashaal added that Hamas' win was a victory for the way of resistance and steadiness and expected that now the international pressure on Syria will be eased. Mashaal added that the US demands to disarm and recognize Israel were "not realistic."
Meanwhile, Hamas on Sunday reiterated its refusal to recognize the Israeli regime as long as Jewish occupation of Palestinian land continues. Hamas leader and would-be PA Prime Minister Ismael Haniya said stressed Hamas wouldn’t fall into the same "Zionist trap" which the PLO fell more than 10 years.
“Fatah recognized Israel back in 1989, so what was the result? Did Israel end its occupation of our homeland? Did Israel mitigate its repression?”
According to PIC, Haniya said it was out of the question that Hamas would recognize the Zionist regime at a time when the occupation of Palestine continued unabated. “The Palestinian Authority gave Israel a free recognition in return for nothing, now they want us to do the same. But I say to them keep dreaming. We will never ever do that.”
In addition, Haniya lashed out at international and Arab circles for demanding that Hamas recognize Israel while not making the same demand of the Zionist regime to recognize Hamas. “They want us to recognize the Zionist occupation in return for foreign aid. This is impossible.”
