Hamas strives to end the bloodbath in the area, Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Isma’il Haniyya said on Sunday. “We are not against the Jews as Jews,” he said. “What we want is rights and respect of the Palestinian people and to end this critical situation.”
Hamas in the leadership can be the beginning of a solution to the crisis, Haniyya said to a group of journalists in his Gaza office.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, he stressed that the future government and the Palestinians in general will reject any Israeli plan which compromises Palestinian rights and bars the way to a Palestinian state.
Haniyya, who headed Hamas’ Change and Reform List in the January 25 legislative elections, has presented a cabinet to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas who approved the new make-up.
The new 24-member government, comprised of Hamas members and independents, will be presented to the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Legislative Council on Wednesday for approval.
Haniyya said dialogue with the American administration and with European countries is imperative and that they should hear Hamas’ views directly from Hamas and not through others.