Hamas wants changes to Egypt’s reconciliation plan

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian-based leaders of the Islamic militant Hamas said Thursday the group will not sign an Egyptian-mediated proposal to reconcile with rival Fatah unless it is amended to say Palestinians have the right to keep fighting Israel.

The joint statement by Hamas and seven other radical, Damascus-based Palestinian factions came in response to a pressing deadline by Egypt to respond to their proposal within days.

“The wording submitted by Cairo to the factions makes no reference to the struggle (with Israel) and the aggression against our people,” it said.

Western-backed Fatah said Wednesday it has accepted the Egyptian proposal to hold presidential and legislative elections next year as part of a broad package meant to end the bitter rivalry with Hamas, which has complicated U.S.-led efforts to forge peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Hamas rules the Gaza Strip while Fatah heads a rival government in the West Bank.

Egypt did not immediately comment on Hamas’ demand to amend the proposed reconciliation plan.

Sami Khater, a Hamas official in Syria, said the deal could be signed later if the necessary amendments were made.

Hamas officials in Syria and Gaza cited the conflict over a recent U.N. war crimes report as a primary barrier to reconciliation efforts. The report accused both Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during last winter’s Gaza war.

Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sparked outrage across Palestinian society for his decision — which he later reversed — to drop support for a U.N. vote in support of the report. The vote would presumably harshly condemn Israel’s war conduct.

Hamas harshly criticized his handling of the matter, saying it create bad conditions for reconciliation.

“We still stress the need for a reconciliation but there were some changes on the ground, most important of which was the behavior of the Palestinian Authority … which caused wide anger inside and outside Palestine,” Khater told The Associated Press.

Hamas officials in Gaza indicated the Damascus statement was not a final rejection of the Egyptian plan. Lawmaker Salah Bardawil said Hamas has two more days to make a final decision and give a response to the Egyptians, while Ismail Ridwan, another Gaza leader, said Hamas was still studying the proposal.

Hamas seized control of Gaza two years ago after routing forces loyal to Abbas. The Palestinians have since had two rival governments in the Palestinians territories.

Fatah interpreted the Damascus statement as a rejection of the Egyptian proposal.

Abbas said Thursday that if there is no reconciliation deal, he will unilaterally schedule parliamentary and presidential elections in January — a date he said is required by law. His comments, during a news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, are likely intended to pressure Hamas to accept the Egyptian proposal.

Under the proposal, the Palestinians would hold presidential and legislative elections on June 28.

In the meantime, Hamas would allow some 3,000 Fatah loyalists to return to duty in the security forces in the coastal Gaza Strip. Monitoring committees would work toward establishing a unified Palestinian security force for Gaza and the West Bank, while the rival sides would form a separate committee to work together to prepare for the elections.

The Egyptian proposal has failed to address some key issues in the dispute — most importantly whether a unified Palestinian government would accept international demands to renounce violence and recognize Israel’s right to exist.

Hamas’ refusal to recognize Israel was a major point of friction in a short-lived Palestinian unity government that disintegrated during the Gaza infighting.

Hamas’ top leaders live in exile in Syria because they fear assassinations by Israel in the coastal area.

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Associated Press Writers Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, and Ben Hubbard in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.