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Report: Hamas prepared to accept pre-1967 borders, but not Israel
An Arabic media report has suggested that Hamas will soon announce a new charter, which will accept in principle a Palestinian state within pre-1967 borders, signifying a shift away from imposing a state in place of the entire country of Israel.
The London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reports that the document was drawn up in Doha by Hamas officials, including overall leader Khaled Mashaal, his assumed successor Ismael Haniyeh and senior Hamas member Moussa Abu Marzouk.
According to the report, the amended charter will for the first time endorse the idea of a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, bringing it into line with the policy of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
However, the new charter is not thought to extend to recognising Israel.
Asharq al-Awsat reports that Hamas leaders intend to redefine their fight, which has included suicide bombings and regular rocket fire at Israel, as a fight against “occupying forces” and not Jews. Hamas’ current charter, formulated in the 1980s, clearly defines a religious struggle against all Jews. Haaretz says Hamas hopes that the new approach will help foster better ties with other Palestinian factions, Egypt and the international community.
The Asharq al-Awsat report also says that new charter will make clear a “separation from any foreign body or organisation,” thought to be a specific reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Hamas has been closely affiliated with. The Muslim Brotherhood is considered a terror group by Egypt’s government.
Approval for the new charter is expected next month, at the conclusion of elections for Hamas’ political bureau and Shura Council. Asharq al-Awsat reported: “All of Hamas’s bodies, whether affiliated with its political wing or military brigades, had contributed to drafting the declaration.”
Yahya Sinwar, a senior military brigade leader, was recently appointed to head Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which it has ruled since violently deposing PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction in 2007. Sinwar is considered a proponent of a more aggressive stance towards Israel.