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Hamas to take part in parliamentary polls

Israel, PA hail decision

AFP, Nablus
Hamas announced yesterday it intends to run in Palestinian parliamentary elections in July, ending a long-standing boycott of mainstream political life by the militant Islamic movement.
The move was greeted with caution by Israel and welcomed by the Palestinian Authority, which is seeking to secure a ceasefire by armed groups including Hamas to shore up tentative steps in resuming the long-stalled Middle East peace process.
"Given its interest in reinforcing Palestinian unity at this critical time, and the strong building of Palestinian institutions and achievement of real comprehensive national reform, Hamas has taken the decision to participate in the Palestinian legislative council elections to be held in summer 2005," Hamas said.
The decision by the vehemently anti-Israeli group comes amid efforts to keep a lid on violence in
what is being hailed as a new era following the election of Mahmud Abbas as Palestinian leader.
Hamas said the decision followed "comprehensive consultations" with all branches both inside and outside the occupied territories.
But it also reiterated "the position of the movement regarding the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people including the right for liberation and resisting the occupation."
Hamas boycotted the first legislative elections in the Palestinian territories in 1996 and refused to put forward a candidate for the presidential election in January, which saw Abbas chosen to succeed the late Yasser Arafat.
However, it took part in recent local elections in the occupied territories, and scored a landslide victory in its Gaza Strip stronghold in January, easily beating the dominant Fatah faction of Abbas.
Saturday's announcement comes ahead of a meeting of all Palestinian factions to be held in Egypt on Tuesday where they are expected to discuss a ceasefire.
Palestinian national security advisor Jibril Rajub said earlier this week that all armed groups were ready to observe a truce following several months of an unofficial period of calm.
Palestinian spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said the Hamas decision was a "step in the right direction which will strengthen Palestinian unity."
But an Israeli official voiced caution.
"The participation of Hamas in the legislative elections does not constitute a guarantee that this organisation will renounce terrorism," the official said on condition of anonymity.
"Hezbollah is also integrated into political life in Lebanon but that hasn't stopped it from keeping an armed wing," the official said, referring to the Syrian and Iranian backed fundamentalist Shiite Muslim group.
Thousands of members of Hamas and its smaller rival Islamic Jihad held demonstrations in the Gaza Strip on Friday, sending a message to Israel that only it could bring a halt to anti-Israeli attacks.
The head of Hamas in Gaza City, Mahmud al-Zahar, said the "cooling down period" currently being respected by Hamas and other Palestinian factions could only continue "if Israel offers concessions".
Hamas does not recognise the state of Israel and wants to see the creation of an Islamic state from the Mediterranean Sea to Jordan -across all land that was Palestine under the British mandate.
The Islamic Resistance Movement was founded in 1987 during the first Intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation and is the largest Islamist group in the Palestinian territories.
The group is fiercely opposed to the 1993 Oslo peace accords that brought partial autonomy to the Palestinian territories. Its armed wing -- the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades -- has been responsible for most of the suicide attacks carried out against Israeli targets during the latest Intifada.
Its base is in the poverty-stricken Gaza Strip, where it is known for its charitable and educational work among the people.