Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Monday he expects Hamas to hand in its weapons after Palestinian elections this summer, but he stopped short of threatening to disarm the Islamic militants by force.
A Hamas official dismissed the call, saying Abbas should first disarm his own Fatah movement.
In violence Monday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian taxi driver after his vehicle ran over and killed an Israeli at a roadblock near the West Bank city of Hebron, rescue workers said. Israeli security officials said it appeared to be a deliberate attempt to hit the Israeli. Palestinians said the driver had no political ties, and the roadblock was not a permanent fixture, indicating that the hit and run was an accident.
Abbas has been under pressure from the US and Israel to rein in armed groups, as called for in the internationally backed "road map" peace plan. While repeatedly calling on militants to halt their attacks on Israel, Abbas has refused to take action against them, preferring instead to negotiate.
Hamas, the largest Palestinian opposition group, has said it will participate in legislative elections, which are set to take place on July 17. It would be the first time the group has sought a place in the Palestinian parliament.
During a news conference at his office in Gaza, Abbas welcomed the Hamas desire to join the political process. But he said Hamas, which has carried out dozens of suicide bombings against Israelis, would be expected to give up its militant activities after the vote.
"When a movement or militia is transformed into a political party, I would say that there will then be no need for them to possess weapons," Abbas told reporters.
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