Hamas welcomes US shift, says willing to talk

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has welcomed US President Barack Obama’s new approach, expressing willingness to hold talks with the United States.

Haniyeh, who was speaking to a American medical delegation on Wednesday, was quoted by Ma’an news agency as saying that “there is nothing wrong with talking to the United States.”

However, he added that Washington must live up to its promises and push for the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem Al-Quds as its capital.

The prime minister Ismail Haniyeh said that the United States is capable of bringing peace and stability to the region, only if it keeps its promises.

“I am convinced of the fairness of the peaceful transfer of power in Palestine,” Haniyeh told the delegation, but noted that the Palestinian people were punished, when they fairly elected Hamas in 2006, the news agency reported late Thursday.

Haniyeh thanked the delegates for their humanitarian and social services. He also said that the visit meant a lot, as it demonstrated support from the American people for Gazans, and their rejection of the Israeli siege.