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Hamas urges Abbas to stop talks with Israel |
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21:01, January 03, 2008 |
Islamic Hamas movement on Thursday called on President Mahmoud Abbas of rival Fatah to stop meeting Israeli officials and return for dialogue with the Islamic movement.
"Hamas still extends its hands to our brothers in Ramallah and President Abu Mazen (Abbas)," Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan told reporters in the Hamas-run Gaza.
"We call on Abbas to start a new era and stop the useless security meetings with the Zionist entity and to come to the dialogue on the basis of maintaining the Palestinian people's interest," Radwan added.
A few days ago, Hamas rejected a call by Abbas for a new era based on ending the movement's control of Gaza Strip and staging early elections. Hamas said it wants unconditional dialogue with Fatah before relinquishing its grip on Gaza.
Abbas fired the Hamas-led government when the Islamic movement seized control of Gaza by force last June. Abbas then formed another cabinet excluding Hamas members ruling from West Bank.
Abbas launched peace talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the U.S.-sponsored Annapolis peace conference in November 2007 and agreed to aim for a deal on Palestinian statehood by the end of 2008, but the talks have been marred by Israeli plans to build settlement homes on occupied land.
Source:Xinhua
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