Hamas's prime minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh today denied suggesting the Palestinian Islamist group might one day recognise Israel, saying there was only a possibility of achieving a long-term truce.
Hamas chose Mr Haniyeh, a 43-year-old Gazan viewed by many Palestinians as a pragmatist, as the new prime minister after its election victory on January 25th. The militant Islamist group hopes to form a Palestinian government within two weeks.
The Washington PostWeb site, quoted Mr Haniyeh as saying in an interview: "If Israel declares that it will give the Palestinian people a state and give them back all their rights, then we are ready to recognise them."
But Mr Haniyeh told reporters in Gaza that he "did not tackle the issue of recognising [Israel] in my interview with the Washington Post".
Reiterating a long-standing position by Hamas, Mr Haniyeh said the group would never recognise Israel but could agree to a long-term truce if Israel withdrew from lands captured in the 1967 war, freed prisoners and allowed the return of refugees.
Hamas is caught between international demands to recognise Israel or face a cut-off of foreign aid to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.
Israel had rejected Mr Haniyeh's published remarks as falling short of its demand that Hamas recognise Israel's right to exist, renounce violence and accept peace accords as a condition for any contacts with the group.
Israel has sought to isolate any Hamas-led government and decided to freeze transfers of tax revenues worth around €45 million per month.