GAZA, Feb. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, declined to confirm Friday that Hamas had nominated Sheikh Ismael Haneya, the top Hamas lawmaker, as new Prime Minister. Speaking at a news conference after a meeting at Haneya's house in the Beach refugee camp west of Gaza City, Zahar said Hamas leaders in Gaza had finalized the preparations for the inaugural session of the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) on Saturday.

    Haneya was reportedly named as the prime minister-designate who would be commissioned by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to form the next cabinet after Hamas won 74 out of 132 parliamentary seats in the Jan. 25 elections, compared with only 45 seats won by Abbas' long-dominant Fatah movement.

    Israel, which brands Hamas as a terrorist group, decided earlier Friday to submit a range of proposed sanctions against a Hamas-led Palestinian government for cabinet approval on Sunday." If the enemy tries to make our people starve, we have many means to defend our people," Zahar said.

    In reaction to the Israeli efforts to convince the international community not to deal with Hamas if it does not renounce violence, recognize Israel's right to exist and commit tothe previous agreements between the Palestinians and Israel including the road map peace plan, Zahar said the United States and Israel would find themselves isolated after the rest of world opens dialogue with Hamas. Enditem