WORLD> Middle East
Hamas refuses to handover Gaza headquarters to Abbas
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-07 21:05

GAZA  -- A senior Islamic Hamas movement leader in Gaza refused on Monday to handover its security headquarters, that Hamas controlled in June last year in the Gaza Strip, to President Mahmoud Abbas.

Mahmoud al-Zahar denied earlier reports by the London-based al- Quds al-Arabi saying that Syrian President Bashar el-Assad conveyed to Abbas that Hamas had consented to handover security headquarters for forming a unity government.

"These reports are inaccurate, to whom should we handover these headquarters. If we want to talk about security apparatuses, we should discuss on the table reforming these apparatuses," al-Zahar told reporters in Gaza.

In mid June last year, following weeks of bloody infighting with rival Fatah movement, Hamas militias took control of the Gaza Strip security headquarters and routed Abbas security forces.

"In principle we are willing to put all issues on the table of dialogue for discussion," al-Zahar said, however, he added "but I don't believe that President Abbas has reached a mature position to clearly say he is ready for dialogue."

Asked about a possibility to hold a meeting between Abbas and Hamas chief in Damascus Khaled Mesha'al, al-Zahar said "We don't plan for holding such a meeting because Abbas doesn't have the US permission for this meeting."

Meanwhile, al-Zahar denied that Hamas movement's leaders in the West Bank are preparing for opening a channel of dialogue with Fatah leaders. He said there are meetings to improve the living conditions of the population there.