By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat urged Islamic Hamas movement on Sunday to commit itself to the deals signed between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel.
By rejecting to recognize the agreements, “Hamas encourages Israel not to make peace with the PLO,” Erekat told the official Voice of Palestine radio.
His remarks were in response to fresh statements by Hamas leaders in Gaza who affirmed there will be no commitment to these deals.
When Hamas won parliamentary elections in early 2006, the international community boycotted the Islamic movement and outlined three conditions to deal with Hamas: recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and abiding by the peace deals. Hamas still reject these conditions.
Erekat also reminded that Hamas refused to recognize these deals in 2002 when Israel imposed restrictions on late leader Yasser Arafat for his failure to rein in attacks against Israel carried out by militant groups, including Hamas.
Erekat says his call on Hamas was meant to give confidence to the hopes of reaching a peace deal with Israel, paving the way for the creation of the long-awaited Palestinian statehood.