By Xinhua
Gaza : The Islamic Hamas movement Wednesday downgraded Quartet on the Middle East envoy Tony Blair’s tour of the Middle East and said it was part of a plan to wage a war in the region.
Salah al-Bardaweel, spokesman for Hamas’ parliamentary bloc, told reporters in Gaza: “This tour cannot score a breakthrough because there are no true intentions for peace and there is no peace process at all.”
Instead, “we believe a dangerous operation, like attacking Syria or Iran, is being arranged,” he said.
“There is a complete plan preparing for a war in the region and pushing the Arab nations for free normalisation with Israel,” he added.
Al-Bardaweel also slammed the former British prime minister, saying Blair “who has failed to manage his country’s internal and foreign policy wants now to succeed in managing the Palestinian and Arabic causes”.
The Quartet, which groups the United Nations, the European Union, the US and Russia, rejects dealing with Hamas unless it recognises Israel and lays down arms.
The international mediation body sponsors aid to the moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who is engaged in a power struggle with Hamas.