Even as pressure mounted on Hamas, one of the militant group’s top official said it will not recognize Israel but will abide, for now, by past agreements Palestinian leaders made with the Jewish state.
Moussa Abu Marzouk, the right-hand man to Hamas'' political leader Khaled Mashaal, declared his position as Hamas leaders from Syria and Palestinian areas gathered in Egypt and began talks Monday with Egyptian officials after the group''s stunning election victory.
The United States wants other nations to cut off aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian government and the UN Security Council told the Islamic militant group on Friday that a future Palestinian government must recognize Israel and commit itself to a negotiated settlement of the Mideast conflict culminating in two independent states living in peace.
However, the Security Council congratulated the Palestinian people "on an electoral process that was free, fair and secure."
Abu Marzouk Monday also lashed out at the defeated, more moderate Fatah party for refusing to participate in a national unity Palestinian government, which Hamas wants to form to avoid an Israeli veto on it.
"We will act in the legal framework to get out from this deadlock, which our brothers in Fatah have put us in," Abu Marzouk told reporters late Sunday.
Abu Marzouk said any government set up by Hamas "will not make security arrangements with Israeli or hand over (Palestinians) who fire rockets (on Israel)." He also insisted the group would not recognize Israel.
Hamas is under growing international pressure to renounce violence and recognize Israel''s right to exist as a condition for receiving millions of dollars in foreign aid - the lifeline of the Palestinian economy. Western powers have said they will not fund a Hamas-led Palestinian government otherwise.
"The United States is not prepared to fund an organization that advocates the destruction of Israel, that advocates violence and that refuses its obligations," under an international framework for eventual Mideast peace, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said last week.
Rice met other members of the so-called Quartet of would-be Mideast peacemakers last week. The group, which includes the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, is already on record as saying "there is a fundamental contradiction between armed group and militia activities and the building of a democratic state."
In Gaza meanwhile, a Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, called on the international community to continue funding the Palestinian Authority.
"We assure you that all the revenues will be spent on salaries, daily life and infrastructure," he said at a news conference, addressing international concerns that aid would be used to fund violence.
Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman said last week that Egypt intends to tell Hamas leaders that they must recognize Israel, disarm and honor past peace deals.
The leaders are executed to meet later with senior Egyptian officials, including Suleiman and Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Omar Suleiman.
Before the leaders started their meetings at a Cairo hotel, Abu Marzouk acknowledged that the movement faces difficulties in its attempts to set up a government.
"The most daunting task we face is to recognize the Zionist enemy and the obligations which the Authority had in the absence of similar (Israeli) obligations," he said.
Marzouk said Hamas officials had met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah''s leader, and that Abbas did not insist that Hamas had to recognize Israel or make other concessions before Fatah would negotiate a deal to form the next Palestinian government.
Speaking of past peace deals between the Palestinians and Israel, Marzouk told reporters: "There is no authority that inherits another authority without abiding by the agreements already made. But the other party also should be committed to the agreements."
He said Hamas would review all past deals.
"If the agreements contradict logic and rights, there are legal measures to be taken ... there are no eternal agreements," he said.
Israel''s acting prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said Monday he will work with Abbas as long as he does not join forces with Hamas. Olmert also said Israel would continue transferring monthly tax payments to the Palestinian Authority as long as Hamas was not in control.
Israel also agreed Sunday to transfer $54 million (euro45 million) in desperately needed tax money to the Palestinian Authority. Israel''s monthly transfer of the taxes and customs duties it collects on behalf of the Palestinians is crucial to the functioning of the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli Cabinet decided to transfer the money because Hamas was not yet in the government, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said.
Moussa Abu Marzouk, the right-hand man to Hamas'' political leader Khaled Mashaal, declared his position as Hamas leaders from Syria and Palestinian areas gathered in Egypt and began talks Monday with Egyptian officials after the group''s stunning election victory.
The United States wants other nations to cut off aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian government and the UN Security Council told the Islamic militant group on Friday that a future Palestinian government must recognize Israel and commit itself to a negotiated settlement of the Mideast conflict culminating in two independent states living in peace.
However, the Security Council congratulated the Palestinian people "on an electoral process that was free, fair and secure."
Abu Marzouk Monday also lashed out at the defeated, more moderate Fatah party for refusing to participate in a national unity Palestinian government, which Hamas wants to form to avoid an Israeli veto on it.
"We will act in the legal framework to get out from this deadlock, which our brothers in Fatah have put us in," Abu Marzouk told reporters late Sunday.
Abu Marzouk said any government set up by Hamas "will not make security arrangements with Israeli or hand over (Palestinians) who fire rockets (on Israel)." He also insisted the group would not recognize Israel.
Hamas is under growing international pressure to renounce violence and recognize Israel''s right to exist as a condition for receiving millions of dollars in foreign aid - the lifeline of the Palestinian economy. Western powers have said they will not fund a Hamas-led Palestinian government otherwise.
"The United States is not prepared to fund an organization that advocates the destruction of Israel, that advocates violence and that refuses its obligations," under an international framework for eventual Mideast peace, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said last week.
Rice met other members of the so-called Quartet of would-be Mideast peacemakers last week. The group, which includes the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, is already on record as saying "there is a fundamental contradiction between armed group and militia activities and the building of a democratic state."
In Gaza meanwhile, a Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, called on the international community to continue funding the Palestinian Authority.
"We assure you that all the revenues will be spent on salaries, daily life and infrastructure," he said at a news conference, addressing international concerns that aid would be used to fund violence.
Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman said last week that Egypt intends to tell Hamas leaders that they must recognize Israel, disarm and honor past peace deals.
The leaders are executed to meet later with senior Egyptian officials, including Suleiman and Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Omar Suleiman.
Before the leaders started their meetings at a Cairo hotel, Abu Marzouk acknowledged that the movement faces difficulties in its attempts to set up a government.
"The most daunting task we face is to recognize the Zionist enemy and the obligations which the Authority had in the absence of similar (Israeli) obligations," he said.
Marzouk said Hamas officials had met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah''s leader, and that Abbas did not insist that Hamas had to recognize Israel or make other concessions before Fatah would negotiate a deal to form the next Palestinian government.
Speaking of past peace deals between the Palestinians and Israel, Marzouk told reporters: "There is no authority that inherits another authority without abiding by the agreements already made. But the other party also should be committed to the agreements."
He said Hamas would review all past deals.
"If the agreements contradict logic and rights, there are legal measures to be taken ... there are no eternal agreements," he said.
Israel''s acting prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said Monday he will work with Abbas as long as he does not join forces with Hamas. Olmert also said Israel would continue transferring monthly tax payments to the Palestinian Authority as long as Hamas was not in control.
Israel also agreed Sunday to transfer $54 million (euro45 million) in desperately needed tax money to the Palestinian Authority. Israel''s monthly transfer of the taxes and customs duties it collects on behalf of the Palestinians is crucial to the functioning of the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli Cabinet decided to transfer the money because Hamas was not yet in the government, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said.
