Abbas, Hamas agree on policy deal

Hamas reached a political agreement with moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday under the pressure of an international embargo to push it to recognise Israel and soften its line.

But the governing Islamist group - whose charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state - rejected any suggestion the deal could imply it now accepts Israel's existence.

The EU, main donor to the Palestinians, praised the agreement as a good first step while Washington said it wanted to see more details. Both emphasised Hamas still had to make clear it recognised Israel and also renounced violence.

With Israel and the Palestinians preparing for a possible Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip following the kidnapping of a soldier, there appeared to be little chance agreement over the document could open a path towards peacemaking soon.

Mr Abbas had sought to soften Hamas's line in the hope of ending the US-led financial siege. During weeks of wrangling in the power struggle, he tried to get the Hamas government to accept a document penned by Palestinians in Israeli jails which implicitly recognises Israel.

Hamas accepted it only after amendments it insisted would allow it to stick to its "agenda of resistance" to Israel.

"The document included a clear clause referring to the non-recognition of the legitimacy of the Occupation," said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri, using the group's term for Israel.

Officials close to the negotiations said Mr Abbas, of Fatah, and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, of Hamas, drafted a platform accepting a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas captured by Israel in a 1967 war.

Such a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be in line with Fatah's recognition of Israel.

But Hamas legislator Salah al-Bardaweel said: "We said we accept a state (in territory occupied) in 1967 - but we did not say we accept two states." A senior aide to Mr Abbas said the agreement clearly meant Hamas accepted Israel. Yasser Abed Rabbo accused Hamas of "playing with words in order to save face".

The agreement appeared likely to mean the cancellation of a July 26 referendum Mr Abbas had scheduled, over Hamas's objections, on the prisoners' document. Under the accord, Hamas, which won elections in January, would agree to form a unity administration with Fatah and other factions, officials said before the deal was announced.

The US and European Union said Hamas now had to make clear not only that it recognised Israel, but also renounced violence and accepted past peace agreements.

Israel has said the document is a non-starter and ruled out dealing with Hamas until the group met those terms.

"The document unfortunately would appear to be just more double-speak," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.

Israel massed tanks and troops near Gaza yesterday for a threatened offensive against Palestinian militants and said it would target Hamas leaders unless militants freed Corporal Gilad Shalit, kidnapped during a raid into Israel on Sunday.