RAMALLAH Ñ The European Union has offered to remove Hamas from a
list of organizations deemed as terrorist if the Islamic group suspends
suicide missions against Israel.
Palestinian sources said the EU offer was submitted during negotiations
with Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip and Egypt over the last month. The
sources said an EU representative held a series of talks with Hamas in an
effort to achieve a limited ceasefire over the next few months.
Earlier this month, the EU sponsored talks in Cairo between Hamas and
the ruling Fatah movement to discuss a ceasefire in the more than
two-year-old war against Israel. The talks included a series of offers from
both the EU and Egypt for a suspension of attacks.
An EU negotiator was said to have offered to remove Hamas
from the European list of terrorist groups. Hamas's military wing Izzedin Al
Kassam was placed on the list earlier this year while the political arm was
left out.
Palestinian sources said the Fatah-Hamas dialogue will be renewed next
month in Cairo. They said they expect the dialogue to include senior
representatives of both movements.
[Canada has placed Hamas and the Islamic Jihad groups on Ottawa's list
of terrorist groups. Hamas is already on the list of U.S. State Department
terrorist organizations.]
For their part, Hamas leaders have rejected a ceasefire in suicide
missions in Israeli cities. They termed such attacks as strategic, saying
they would lead to the defeat of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in elections
scheduled for Jan. 28.
Palestinian sources said Fatah and Palestinian Authority officials have
urged Hamas to halt attacks inside Israel until at least after the Israeli
elections. PA officials have expressed support for Labor Party chairman
Amram Mitzna as Israel's next prime minister.
The EU effort has drawn protests from European parliamentarians. The
parliamentarians have accused the EU and its commissioner for foreign
relations Chris Patten of encouraging corruption and violence in the
Palestinian Authority.
The EU provides 10 million euros a month to the PA and members of the
European Parliament's foreign relations committee called for a panel to
investigate PA corruption. Several members expressed concern that EU money
could have been diverted to fund what they termed were Palestinian
terrorist attacks. Patten rejected the assertion.
