Jerusalem, May 01: Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has expressed concern about a reconciliation deal between the Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas.
“We expect world leaders and especially the United Nations to attach conditions to any cooperation with a Palestinian unity government — to whatever extent that this will happen,” AFP quoted Barak as saying in a telephone conversation with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday.
The Israeli minister insisted that any Palestinian agreement must include the conditions of the so-called Middle East Quartet — the US, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations.
The quartet has been trying to persuade Hamas to end its armed resistance against Israel and to recognize Israel as well as the existing agreements between Israel and the Ramallah-based Palestine Liberation Organization.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian factions issued a statement, saying they had reached an “understanding” in Cairo to set up a transitional unity government and hold elections.
The Egypt-mediated agreement between Fatah and Hamas calls for presidential and legislative elections to be held within a year.
The two Palestinian factions have been at odds since Hamas won a sweeping victory in the 2006 elections.
Hamas has vowed that the reconciliation deal will stay in place despite all the pressure from the US and Israel, which have been campaigning to prevent the recognition of a Palestinian state that includes the resistance movement.
———Agencies