Egypt's intelligence director held talks Saturday in Damascus with Hamas' political chief Khaled Mashaal on forming a Palestinian unity government and swapping prisoners for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, a Hamas official said. Mashaal met with Omar Suleiman about containing the conflict between the ruling Hamas and Fatah party, Hamas official Osama Hamdan said in a telephone interview from Lebanon. | On Friday, Mashaal said Hamas would not recognize Israel, but it wants to join a national unity government with Abbas' rival Fatah faction. |
He also said Hamas was ready to swap Cpl. Shalit for Palestinian prisoners. Also Saturday, Palestinian Interior Minister Said Siyam and his Syrian counterpart Gen. Bassam Abdul-Majid met in Damascus to discuss the Palestinian situation. Farouk Kaddoumi, the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization's political wing, also met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, the official Syrian news agency, SANA, reported.
Recognition of Israel is a major demand by the US and EU for lifting sanction on Hamas, which were imposed after Hamas defeated Fatah in the January legislative elections.