Hamas leader signals possible truce with Israel

A HAMAS leader has said the militant group could accept creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza and a long-term truce with Israel, signalling a possible new overture to end hostilities.

Hamas has made such offers before, but this was the first time since the death of Yasser Arafat and reflects a softening of the Islamic group’s tone before a Palestinian election next month.

“The whole world should seize this opportunity and build on it because this is a realistic position being taken by the Hamas movement,” Hassan Youssef, the top Hamas official in the West Bank, said yesterday.

But a senior Israel official dismissed the proposal, calling it a ruse aimed at “destroying Israel in stages.”

Mr Youssef said Hamas would accept a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, if Israel removed all troops and Jewish settlers and stopped military operations in the territories.

“Of course, we would accept,” Mr Youssef said. “Then we can have a cease-fire.”

But he stopped short of saying Hamas would recognise Israel’s right to exist or give up its claim to all of the land that was Palestine.

A number of Hamas officials have previously said they would accept an independent state in the territories but only as a step toward taking over Israel.

Just a day before, Mahmoud al-Zahar, a Hamas leader in Gaza, suggested the group would consider suspending attacks on Israel to allow a smooth election for Mr Arafat’s successor on January 9.