Jailed Hamas, Jihad leaders back off from statehood proposal

    GAZA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Prominent leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) jailed by Israel withdrew their support on Sunday for a statehood proposal they participated in drafting.

    Hamas spokesman in Gaza Sami Abu Zuhri read at a press conference from a joint statement signed by jailed senior Hamas leader Abdel Khaleq al-Natsha and Jihad leader Bassam al-Sa'di that the two would no longer back the proposal seeking Palestinian statehood.

Palestinian official slams Israeli PM's statements on referendum

    RAMALLAH, June 11 (Xinhua) -- A senior official in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Sunday slammed recent statements by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on a coming Palestinian referendum over a proposal seeking statehood.

    Yasser Abed Rabbo sharply criticized Olmert for dismissing the Palestinian referendum as "meaningless" in an interview with the British newspaper the Financial Times published on Saturday.

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