Hamas will respond to Carter's proposals tomorrow

Hamas: We will respond to Carter's proposals to the best interests of our people

[ 20/04/2008 - 10:59 AM ]

DAMASCUS, (PIC)--

The Hamas Movement stated Saturday that it would discuss the proposals of former US president Jimmy Carter about the truce with the Israeli occupation and would respond to these proposals next Monday taking into account the best interests of the Palestinian.

"President Carter is a man respected by Hamas and the Palestinian people; he declared that the Palestinian people are subjected to an unjust siege and that Hamas is a national liberation movement, not a terrorist movement as claimed by the current American administration; thus, we give serious consideration to his proposals for calm," Mousa Abu Marzouq, the deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, elaborated.

Abu Marzouq underlined that Carter's proposals comprised three basic issues, namely, Israeli captive soldier Gilad Shalit, the truce, and ending the siege on Gaza.

The Hamas leader said in this regard that Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, and Sa'eed Siyam, the head of the Hamas parliamentary bloc, would arrive in Damascus to join wide discussions held at all levels within the movement about Carter's proposals because they are important to consider and worth discussing them internally.

The Hamas leader pointed out that Carter did not make any promise to Hamas leadership, but he would present Hamas's viewpoint fully in a press conference expected to be held next Monday.

Nazzal: Carter-Mesha'al meetings "positive"

[ 19/04/2008 - 02:49 PM ]

DAMASCUS, (PIC)--

The meetings between Hamas leader Khaled Mesha'al and former American president Jimmy Carter were "positive", Mohammed Nazzal, political bureau member of the Hamas Movement said on Saturday.

He told the Aqsa TV that the meetings proved to the US administration, Israel and a number of Palestinian and regional parties that Hamas could not be isolated.

Nazzal said that his Movement knows quite well that Carter does not have any political power but it is also sure that he owns an ethical power. Carter enjoys political weight and is respected by all, he elaborated.

Nazzal appreciated Carter's statements about racism of the Israeli occupation government and his rejection of besieging the Palestinian people.

Carter held a second meeting with Mesha'al on Saturday in the Syrian capital to continue discussing a proposed calm between Palestinian factions and the Hebrew state along with prisoners' exchange and the siege on the Palestinian lands.

Nazzal said that Carter tabled a paper on his views regarding those issues, and added that the former American president asked Hamas to offer a goodwill gesture in the issue of the calm in order to embarrass the Hebrew state.

The political bureau member noted that senior Hamas leaders held a meeting midnight Friday with Carter's advisors on the issue of releasing Palestinian prisoners in return for setting free the Israeli captured serviceman Gilad Shalit.

Carter had held a four-hour meeting with Mesha'al in the presence of Hamas leaders on Friday evening.

Osama Hamdan, Hamas's representative in Lebanon who is currently in Damascus, said that the Hamas delegation had frank, in-depth discussions with Carter.

He told Al-Jazeera TV that both parties agreed on certain mechanisms to follow up whatever was agreed upon between them.

For its part, the European campaign to break the siege on Gaza lauded Carter's speech at the American University in Cairo in which he denounced the Israeli siege on Gaza.

Carter described the siege as a "crime" and an "abominable act", and added that Palestinians in Gaza were "starving".

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