The Palestinian unity government which will be formed under an agreement signed in Saudi Arabia will not recognize Israel, a top political adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh confirmed on Saturday. "The issue of recognition was not addressed at all (in Mecca)," Ahmed Youssef said, according to Reuters.
"In the platform of the new government there will be no sign of recognition (of Israel), regardless of the pressures the United States and the Quartet would exert," he said. Youssef said Haniyeh hoped to form the new government before a meeting of the Quartet on February 21 and urged the Quartet to lift sanctions on the Palestinians.
"The pretext by the Quartet to continue the boycott of Hamas members in the government should end because they are wrong policies that will only push toward more tension and possibly toward more conflict in the Palestinian territories," he said.
