Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya said his Hamas-led government wanted neither war nor disorder in the Middle East, but reiterated he would not bow before international demands.
‘The government will not make concessions on the principles and rights of the Palestinians, but that does not mean we are calling for war or that we want disorder in the region,’ he said in a speech to mark the 58th anniversary of the ‘catastrophe’ of Israel's creation, commemorated in Naqba Day next Monday.
Reporters then asked Haniya whether he was prepared to accept a Palestinian state within the borders before the 1967 Middle East war, namely the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank, rather than all of historical Palestine.
‘If Israel recognizes a Palestinian state, accepts the right of return of refugees and the release of prisoners, that will be our position,’ he replied.
The Jewish state refuses to recognize the right of return for all Palestinians who either fled or were expelled from their homes, as well as their descendants, when the state of Israel was created in 1948.
Haniya went on to express caution over a series of proposals drawn up by jailed leaders of Palestinian factions, in a bid to ease tensions between their followers, including a pledge to end attacks inside Israel.
‘There are useful and important points intended to overcome certain obstacles, but we need more discussions on this document,’ Haniya said.
The international community demands that the Islamist movement Hamas, branded a ‘terrorist’ organisation by the European Union and United States, renounce violence, recognise Israel and abide by past peace agreements.