By Xinhua
Gaza : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas may resign if a U.S.-proposed international conference scheduled for November failed to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, a Jerusalem-based Palestinian daily reported on Tuesday.
Until the U.S.-sponsored conference is held, Abbas will maintain ties with Israel and the U.S. administration but will keep on his stance not to talk with rival Hamas movement which seized control of Gaza from his Fatah movement, reported the Arabic-language Al-Manar newspaper.
The paper added that Abbas will resign if the peace conference did not result in real peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
The peace process is stalled since the eruption of the second Palestinian uprising in 2000.
Quoting officials close to Abbas on condition of anonymity, the report revealed that the Palestinian president will call for early parliamentary and presidential elections to punish Hamas before he quits.
Hamas has slammed Abbas for refusing to talk with the Islamic movement and for forming a new Western-backed government without consulting Hamas, which won the 2006 parliamentary elections.
The peace conference, proposed by U.S. President George W. Bush, will include Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).