Hamas Official: US Not Entitled to Set Preconditions for Palestinians

A senior advisor to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh condemned Washington’s preconditions for recognizing the Palestinians’ transitional government, and called on Fatah and Hamas movements’ officials not to pay attention to the US demands.
“Washington which voted against the condemnation of (Israeli) settlement construction at the UN Security Council is not qualified and competent to set preconditions for the Palestinian reconciliation,” Yousuf Razaqeh told FNA on Saturday.

Referring to Washington’s demands from the Palestinians’ future transition government to recognize Israel and end, what it called as, violence, he said, “Hamas will not accept this and it is not proper for Fatah to give in to these preconditions either.”

Razaqeh reiterated that the transition government will tackle the problem in due time.

His remarks came days after Thirteen Palestinian groups including, Fatah and Hamas, signed a landmark unity deal ending their long-running division.

Prior to the agreement, the Islamic movement Hamas was at loggerheads with Fatah, headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, since Hamas won the parliamentary elections in January of 2006. After winning the elections, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip ending months of bloody conflict with Fatah allied security forces. Egypt and other Arab countries’ attempts of reaching a reconciliation deal between the two largest Palestinian factions had earlier failed.

According to internal sources, the agreement will include formation of a caretaker government until elections take place in both the West Bank and Gaza.

Iran welcomed the Palestinian reconciliation agreement, and called it a positive move towards materializing Palestinian people’s goals and rights.