By Xinhua
Gaza : The Islamic Hamas movement Wednesday stated that it considered as “non-binding” any agreement between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli government.
“Hamas withdraws the authorisation for negotiations which it earlier granted to Abbas,” said Siam, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza.
Hamas had authorised Abbas to hold political negotiations with Israel when the Hamas and Fatah movements joined hands to form a coalition government in March this year.
Abbas sacked the Hamas-led coalition government on June 14 after Hamas militants defeated the Fatah men and seized control of the Gaza Strip.
Abbas has met several times with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert since mid-June and is expecting to reach agreements with Israel prior to a US-proposed international conference on the Mideast peace process, slated for November.
Siam also ruled out resumption of dialogue between Hamas and Fatah before the November conference.
On July 16, US President George W. Bush proposed to hold the international conference, which would include Israel, the Palestinians and some neighbouring Arab states, to help resume the stalled Middle East peace talks.
Asked about possible Hamas-Fatah dialogues post-November, Siam asserted that the dialogue should be unconditional and based on “the unity of the home’s two wings – the Gaza Strip and West Bank”.
Abbas has repeatedly rejected Hamas’ earlier calls for dialogues unless the Islamic movement retreated from “the coup against the Palestinian legitimacy”. He has also demanded Hamas give up its control of the Gaza Strip.
As a result of Hamas’ violent takeover in Gaza, the geographically divided Palestinian territories have been politically split into two parts with two governments – with Hamas running Gaza and Fatah holding the West Bank.