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Israeli, Hamas positions harden

Palestinian farmers destroy tomatoes grown in a former Israeli settlement to protest against Israel's closure of Karni crossing in the Gaza Strip on Saturday. The crossing point for merchandise has been closed by Israeli authorities for the last 10 days. PHOTO: AFP

Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has told world leaders that Israel will not have contact with a Palestinian government comprised of Hamas legislators, the Haaretz newspaper reported yesterday.

Israel demands that Hamas disarm, recognize Israel and stick to all Israeli-Palestinian agreements, Olmert told the leaders in conversations over the weekend, the daily said.

Hamas swept Palestinian elections for the legislative council last week, winning 74 of the 132 seats.

Olmert spoke in recent days with French President Jacques Chirac, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordanian King Abdullah and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Haaretz said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was slated to arrive in Israel later yesterday for a visit.

Olmert has not yet decided if Israel will stop transferring payments to the Palestinian Authority since this could cause the Palestinian Authority to collapse, Haaretz said. Israel is slated to transfer the money -- which is collected from taxes of workers and custom -- on Wednesday, the daily said.

Meanwhile, the leader of Hamas suggested that the Islamic group could create a Palestinian army that would include its militant wing -- responsible for scores of deadly attacks on Israelis -- in the aftermath of its crushing victory in parliamentary elections.

Israeli officials condemned the plan Saturday, demanding that Hamas renounce violence. Palestinian security officers, including loyalists from the defeated Fatah Party, said they would never submit to Hamas control.

"Hamas has no power to meddle with the security forces," said Jibril Rajoub, a Palestinian strongman.

The Hamas chief, Khaled Mashaal, reiterated that Hamas would not recognize Israel. He also indicated attacks on Israeli civilians would continue, accusing Israel of targeting Palestinian civilians.

"As long as we are under occupation then resistance is our right," he said.

Angry police stormed the parliament building in Gaza and armed militants marched into Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' compound in Ramallah to demonstrate their rejection of Hamas' authority. Their defiance raised fears of a spike in violence between Palestinian factions.

Clashes have already broken out between the two sides. Hamas gunmen wounded two policemen in Gaza early Saturday in what authorities said was a roadside ambush. The attack came hours after another firefight wounded a Hamas activist and two police officers, one of whom was in a coma on Saturday.

Hamas won 74 out of 132 seats in parliamentary elections on Wednesday to Fatah's 45. The militant group's victory threw the fate of international aid to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority in doubt and darkened the chances for a peace deal with Israel.

Speaking from his base in Damascus, Syria, Mashaal insisted his group would not disarm and said Hamas' military wing, estimated at nearly 5,000 gunmen in Gaza alone, could be merged into a Palestinian army.

"We are ready to unify the weapons of Palestinian factions, with Palestinian consensus, and form an army like any independent state," he said.

Israeli officials demanded that Hamas look for peaceful solutions to the conflict.

"If Hamas wants to be considered a partner in peace ... it has to renounce terrorism, disarm, accept Israel's right to exist and support political solutions to issues rather than pursuing violent jihad," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
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