There was confusion late Friday whether the radical Islamic Palestinian group Hamas was prepared to back a two-state solution in the Middle East -- effectively recognizing Israel's right to exist. The uncertainty came as the EU announced it was halting aid to the Palestinian Authority.
A senior Hamas official said on Friday the Islamic outfit which recently won Palestinian election is ready to accept a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to news reports. However, the Hamas prime minister said he did not know of any such plans to alter the long-standing position of the group which calls for Israel's destruction.
According to the Associated Press, the senior Hamas official said the two-state idea was to be raised by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in a meeting Friday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who advocates negotiations with Israel. But Haniyeh later told reporters that ‘there is nothing new about political positions’ staked out by the newly formed Hamas government. Hamas -- considered a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and the European Union -- has refused to meet three demands by the international community including the recognition of Israel's right to exist, a renunciation of violence and acceptance of existing peace agreements. But Hamas -- responsible for scores of suicide bombings -- has held a cease-fire with the Jewish state for more than a year.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity because the proposal had not yet been formally submitted to Abbas, the senior Hamas official said the radicals are hoping the two-state idea would defuse growing growing international pressure on the new Palestinian government.
‘Haniyeh is to tell Abu Mazen tonight that Hamas is able to adopt the two-state solution as a platform of the Cabinet,’ the official told the Associated Press. ‘We want to give room for movement and to lift international pressure on the Cabinet.’ Abu Mazen is the name commonly used by Palestinians to refer to President Abbas.
In Brussels on Friday, the European Union said it was cutting off direct aid to the Palestinian Authority. EU foreign ministers are expected to decide on longer-term aid issues on Monday. ‘For the time being there are no payments to or through the Palestinian authority,’ said European Commission spokeswoman Emma Udwin. The EU is the largest single donor to the Palestinians.
After their surprising election victory in January, Hamas has stuck to its hard-line, anti-Israeli rhetoric, but it will have difficulty keeping the Palestinian Authority afloat financially if it doesn't alter its course.
Amid decisions by the EU and the United States to cut aid, Israel also has suspended the monthly transfer of about $55 million (€44.7 million) in customs duties it collects for the Palestinians. Haniyeh admitted this week that his government is broke.