Mecca agreement still best solution for Palestine: Hamas representative

“We believe a return to the Mecca agreement and the national unity document is the best solution,” he told the Mehr News Agency.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, former PA prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, and Hamas Political Bureau chief Khaled Mashaal have launched a round of talks to resolve the dispute between Hamas and Fatah and agreed to form a national unity government, he added.

But Hamas is firm in its position and will not recognize the illegitimate Zionist regime, Abd-al-Moti emphasized.

“We will never compromise with the Zionist regime. Rather, we will force this regime to respect the rights of the Palestinian nation. As we compelled this regime to withdraw from Gaza, we will also force it out of the West Bank with resistance and perseverance.”

Asked about the prospects for negotiations in the event a Hamas member became PA president, he said, “The Hamas movement joined the Authority to serve the Palestinian nation and will accept the presidency of the Authority with the same aim. However, it will never enter into negotiations with the Zionist regime.”

He went on to say that Hamas will take measures to restore the rights of Palestinians, either through armed resistance or by entering the PA.

Abd-al-Moti added that Hamas has not yet officially received Egypt’s latest plan.

Asked if Hamas would accept the plan, which according to some reports contains an article stating that all the previous agreements between the Zionist regime and the PA must be accepted, Abd-al-Moti replied, “Hamas will never agree with this article because there was no such article in the Mecca agreement… We will not agree with any plan… which includes this point and our Egyptian brothers are fully aware of this.”

A plan has been proposed by some Arab states, led by Egypt, to deploy Arab forces in the Gaza Strip, but several Palestinian groups have rejected the idea, saying it is a new plot meant to perpetuate the Israeli occupation and undermine the Palestinian resistance.

HK/HG

END

MNA