DUBAI (Agencies and AlArabiya.net)
Exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal on Monday apologized for mistakes made during the Gaza takeover, while U.S. President Bush called for an international Middle East peace conference and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
"I don't deny that mistakes were made (during the Gaza takeover), Hamas leader Meshaal told a conference of Muslim scholars in Qatar. "But they were committed by individuals and don't represent our policy. We apologize to God before (apologizing to the) people for them", said Meshaal, who heads Hamas's political bureau.
Meshaal also called for the creation of a neutral Palestinian security force that was not allied to either Hamas or Fatah, according to a report published by al-Qaradawi, the Doha-based Egyptian Sunni leader who organized the conference.
The Hamas chief also proposed the establishment of a central unity government which would oversee all the affairs of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank under Arab-Islamic auspices.
"We don't want an Islamic or non-Islamic emirate. We told Arab countries that we want a Palestinian dialogue under Arab-Islamic auspices," Meshaal told the gathering.
He also dismissed claims that his group has links with al-Qaeda, a day after an Egyptian security official said the head of al-Qaeda in Egypt fled to Gaza, which has been under Hamas control since June 15.
"Hamas is now being accused of supporting al-Qaeda... Let those who want to join the camp of the Americans and Zionists do so, but to engage in incitement against your own people (by saying they support al-Qaeda) is a disaster," Meshaal said. |
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Olmert and Bush back Abbas Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas he will release 250 Palestinian prisoners by the end of the week as the two leaders met in Jerusalem on Monday.
The prisoners, the vast majority of them from Abbas's Fatah party, are due to be released on Friday following Israel's pledge to free them as a goodwill gesture to Abbas following the bloody Gaza takeover by rival Hamas.
Later that day, Abbas said he was in favour of a plan by U.S. President George W. Bush to hold a Middle East peace conference within months, a Palestinian official said Monday.
"We welcome favorably the announcement by President Bush because such an international conference can allow the implementation of the roadmap (international peace plan) and Arab peace initiatives," Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said.
But a Hamas spokesman denounced Bush's announcement.
"We condemn this American conference which aims to serve the interests of the Zionist enemy," Ismail Radwan told AFP.
"The conference will lead to increased pressure on (Palestinian president) Mahmud Abbas and separate the Gaza Strip more deeply from the West Bank while sowing division among Palestinians," he added. |
