Khaled Meshaal - “Our people must stop this govt from selling off Palestinian interests.”
Al Jazeera: Khaled Meshaal, the exiled political leader of Hamas, has said the group rejected a European offer for an indirect meeting with Israel to discuss an end to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.Speaking at a rally in Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Friday to mark Hamas’ 20th anniversary, Meshaal said that “some Europeans have offered us to meet indirectly with [the] Israelis to discuss a truce and we told them no and one thousands nos”.
He did not say what European country made the offer.
Meshaal also said he was ready to talk “unconditionally” with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.
He said: “We are ready for an unconditional dialogue in which all issues will be discussed, including that of bringing forward elections.
“I say to the leaders of Fatah that our differences are political.”
Conditions refused
On Monday, Abbas said he wanted to “open a new page” with Hamas if it gave up control of the Gaza Strip, which it took last year from forces loyal to Abbas.The following day, Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas official, said the movement welcomed dialogue, but rejected the conditions Abbas had set for talks.
Meshaal said: “No Arab country has asked Hamas to give up on the current situation in Gaza,” adding the government of Salam Fayyad, the prime minister, should “go”.
“Our people must stop this government from selling off Palestinian interests.”
