BICOM

Mahmoud al-Zahar, foreign minister in the Hamas government in Gaza, said yesterday to the Palestinian Ma’an news agency that Hamas would accept the formation of a state on ‘any part of Palestine’, adding, however, that Hamas would never recognise Israel since such a move would preclude the group’s aim to ‘liberate’ all of Palestine. Regarding the future of the de-facto truce between Hamas and Israel that has largely held, with some interruptions, since Operation Cast Lead in 2008/9, al-Zahar said that Hamas would continue to honour the truce, having reached an agreement with Fatah on this matter. Al-Zahar’s comments may offer a clue regarding the possible future line of a Palestinian unity government, which is currently in the process of formation. At present, Hamas appears less concerned with the territory of a future Palestinian state and may accept a state along the 1967 borders. However, Hamas is determined to continue conflict and rejects recognition of Israel. Recognising Israel through a negotiated settlement will mark some sort of ‘end of claims’ that Hamas fears, as it undermines one of its core ideological foundations.

Former Shin Bet Director Yuval Diskin, meanwhile, speaking at a conference at Tel Aviv University, said that Hamas had not changed its policy, and there was no chance of it agreeing to a peace deal with Israel. Diskin also expressed doubts regarding the chance of the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation to survive over time.