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KHARTOUM, Feb. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Visiting leader of
the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said on Sunday that the
group, which won last month's parliamentary elections, would form a Palestinian
national coalition government soon.
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| Khalid Ma shal (central front), leader of
the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) attends a press
conference at the Khartoum International Airport, Feb. 12, 2006.
He said that the group would form a Palestinian national coalition
government soon. | Khalid
Ma shal, Hamas' politburo chief who has been based in Damascus, made the
announcement shortly after arriving in Sudan on a three-day visit.
"The new Palestinian government will be a national
coalition government with the participation of persons from different
backgrounds," Mashal told a press conference at the Khartoum International
Airport.
He said that the new Palestinian government would
carry outre forms to "achieve an honorable life for the Palestinian people and
liberate the Palestinian lands from the Israeli occupation" as Hamas had
promised to the Palestinians before the elections.
On a recent Russian invitation to Hamas for talks,
Mashal said that he was to pay a visit to Moscow in the near future."
Moscow will be a very important station on our
delegation's journey around the world to exhibit Hamas' positions," he said,
adding that the agenda of Hamas' talks with Russia would be open.
Meanwhile, the Hamas leader reiterated that Hamas
would stick to its right of resistance against the Israeli occupation. But
Mashal indicated that Hamas would revise its ways of resistance including
attacks and suicide bombings on Israeli targets.
Hamas "wants to adopt a new political approach based
on our principles, but rejects any pressure, threat or provocation," he said.
Mashal also reiterated that Hamas would not
acknowledge the existence of Israel before the Jewish state acknowledges the
rights of the Palestinian people including the right of establishing an
independent Palestinian state of full sovereignty on the territories to be
liberated from the Israeli occupation.
In addition, Mashal also said that the Hamas
delegation's trip to Arab and Islamic countries was aimed at "asking their
support for the Palestinian people and the new government."
Mashal, heading a senior Hamas delegation, arrived in
the Sudanese capital Khartoum earlier in the day. He is scheduled to hold a
series of talks with Sudanese officials.
After winning the Jan. 25 Palestinian parliamentary
polls by a landslide, Hamas is expected to from the next Palestinian government.
The group, sworn to Israel's destruction, has been
under mounting pressures to renounce violence, recognize the existence of Israel
and accept previous Palestinian agreements with Israel including the
internationally-backed road map peace plan.
On Saturday, a Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip said
that a Hamas delegation might visit Moscow by the end of February, but added
that the group had not received an official invitation from Russia.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a
press conference in Madrid, Spain that Russia was ready to invite Hamas members
for talks in Moscow in the near future following the group's landslide election
victory.
Putin also said that Russia has never considered
Hamas a terror organization.
The Russia talk offer to Hamas has drawn criticism
from Israel and the U.S. also urged Moscow to clarify its stance.
In response, Moscow said that the invitation to Hamas
for talks was aimed at engaging Hamas in peace efforts toward a two-state
settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Russia is a member of the international Mideast
peacemaking group called the Quartet Committee which also includes the United
Nations, the U.S. and the European Union.
The Quartet urged Hamas at a Jan. 30 meeting in
London to give up violence, recognize Israel and accept previous Palestinian
accords with Israel. Enditem
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