German Foreign Minister Frank- Walter Steinmeier said Thursday that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) must renounce violence if it takes part in government.

He told Bavarian Radio that Berlin could imagine different groups serving in the Palestinian government, but there were at least two crucial conditions which Germany believed had to be met by Hamas first.

"Those taking part in government must swear off the use of violence," he noted, saying the second condition was to recognize Israel's right to exist.

"This seems to be still a long way off for Hamas," Steinmeier told the radio in an interview.

According to a government spokesman, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will insist on her Middle East Visit on Jan. 29-30 despite the Hamas victory.

Hamas won 76 seats of the 132-member legislative council and the former ruling Fatah movement won 43 in Wednesday's Palestinian parliamentary elections, according to preliminary official results announced Thursday evening.

Palestinian President Mahmmoud Abbas will ask Hamas to form a new government, reports reaching here said.

Source: Xinhua