[Ma'an] Ma'an -- Hamas has no desire to establish its own political system in the Gaza Strip, senior leader Moussa Abu Marzouq said on Thursday.Abu Marzouq, the deputy chief of Hamas' Political Bureau, issued a statement denying a report in the Saudi newspaper Okaz that the group aims to establish its own independent entity in Gaza.
The official said Hamas is working to preserve the political unity of the West Bank and Gaza.
He also said that Hamas is committed to all previous accords for unity with rival movement Fatah, but that they still want changes to Egypt's most recent proposal for unity.
Hamas also welcomes any additions Fatah may make to the document, he said.
Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and then took full control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, fearing a Fatah coup. After the takeover, President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved a unity government, leaving the West Bank and Gaza under separate administrations.
Also on Thursday, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the group is engaged in ongoing talks with Egypt about a potential reconciliation with Fatah.
He told Ma'an, however, the group has received no invitations to any potential meetings on the subject in Cairo.
"We are still assuring that the signing [of a unity deal] has to be after a discussion of the amendments to the Egyptian proposal," Barhoum said, referring to Cairo's plan to reunite.
Hamas declined to sign the Egyptian plan in October after Egypt asked both it and Fatah to give a yes or no response. Hamas asked for changes to the document.
Barhoum said that Hamas wants to reach a genuine reconciliation that would end the present political divide and reunite the Palestinian people. The group does not want a fake reconciliation that would cause the situation to deteriorate, he said.
The spokesman also said that if Hamas received an invitation from Cairo, it would be ready to discuss changes to the reconciliation plan.