A senior Hamas lawmaker on Sunday slammed Jordan's King Abdullah II for asking forthcoming Palestinian national unity government to recognize Israel.

"I asked myself what did the king offer to lift the siege on the Palestinian people and was he a part of the Arabic system or a part of another one," said lawmaker Yehia Moussa.

In an interview with Israeli television, King Abdullah said that "there is Arabic and international harmony and the upcoming Palestinian government must abide by this harmony, especially the demands of the Quartet."

The Quartet, which comprises the United States, the European Union, Russian and the United Nations, has called on any Palestinian government to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept peace deals before getting international sanctions removed.

The outgoing Hamas-led government faced sanctions for rejecting Israel, but moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah reached a deal with Hamas to form a unity government that respects agreements signed by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).

The new government, which is being formed, would be headed by Hamas and this created differences between the Quartet's members over resuming fund to the Palestinians.

Source: Xinhua