Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki asserted on Wednesday that Hamas comprehends the reasons for which it should not participate in a new government within the Palestinian territories.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said Wednesday he believes Hamas understands why it should not be part of a new government in the Palestinian territories.
Maliki told a press conference that a “technocratic” government is needed, one without the Islamist group which is fighting a bitter war against Israel.
“The time now is not for a national coalition government,” Maliki said.
“The time now is not for a government where Hamas will be part of it because, in this case, then it will be boycotted by a number of countries, as happened before,” he told the UN correspondents’ association.
“We don’t want to be in a situation like that. We want to be accepted and engage fully with the international community,” he explained.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced Monday the resignation of his government, which rules parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, citing the need for change after the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza ends.
A decree from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the government will stay on in an interim capacity until a new one is formed.
Maliki added the priority is to engage the international community to help provide emergency relief to Palestinians, and then to look at how Gaza could be reconstructed.
“Later, when the situation is right, then we could contemplate that option. But what comes first is how to salvage the situation. How to salvage innocent Palestinian lives. How to stop this insane war and how to be able to protect Palestinian people,” he said.
“That’s why I think Hamas should understand this, and I do believe that they are in support of the idea to establish, today, a technocratic government.”
Maliki is in Geneva to attend the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
