Hamas may join 'reformed' PLO

2005-03-07 11:29

Gaza City - An Islamic Hamas spokesperson said early on Monday that the movement has serious intentions of joining the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) if reforms are made.

Musheer al-Masri revealed to reporters in Gaza that there are contacts being made between the PLO leadership and the movement to include Hamas in the PLO, which now consists of eight different armed and political factions.

Al-Masri said that Hamas had made great progress in the internal debates held to make a final decision to run for the legislative elections to be held on July 17.

"Hamas position concerning the participation in the elections is still under discussion," al-Masri said, adding "the final position of the movement would be declared after the debates end, at the proper time".

Meanwhile, al-Masri said that Hamas highly appreciated Spanish and French efforts to drop Hamas from lists of terrorist organisations.

"The recent developments showed that Hamas carries weight, and everyone knows that its armed resistance was legal according to all world's laws," said al-Masri.

Reacting to Israeli allegations that Hamas is developing a new homemade rocket with a longer range to hit Israeli cities near the West Bank, al-Masri said: "These are Israeli excuses to escape from implementing its commitments."

He reiterated Hamas's commitment to the current truce. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA