Brussels, 26/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Palestinian movement Hamas, which has authority throughout the Gaza Strip, has said that it wishes to enter into dialogue with the EU. An advisor to Ismaïl Hanyah, who was the Palestinian prime minister further to his victory in the elections of January 2006 before being taken over from in June 2007 by President Mahmoud Abbas, said on Saturday, in declarations quoted by the press of the region, that this would allow the EU to make good the mistake it made in 2007. The EU then ostracised Hamas further to the Israeli and Egyptian decision to place the Gaza Strip under embargo. Like most other international players, the EU is now calling for this embargo to be lifted and to make it easier to channel humanitarian aid and to facilitate the reconstruction of the civilian infrastructure destroyed in the Israeli invasion of December 2008.
Hamas is calling on the EU to enter into direct dialogue direct with it. Youssef Rizk, the advisor, confirms that Hamas can see no obstacle to direct dialogue between the two parties. He adds that meetings between Hamas and Western diplomats had recently taken place, albeit irregularly. His reaction comes after statements made on Saturday by the French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, to the effect that France is prepared to start talks with Hamas if officially invited to do so by the Palestinian Authority. (F.B./transl.fl)