Palestinian deal will not make Hamas change -veteran leader


Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gestures as he address the Palestinian Liberation Organization's (PLO) central council in the West Bank City of Ramallah April 26, 2014. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman

GAZA (Reuters) - A Palestinian unity deal will not lead Islamist group Hamas to recognise Israel's right to exist and will not result in any Gaza militants coming under President Mahmoud Abbas's control, a senior Hamas official said on Tuesday.

Veteran Hamas strategist Mahmoud Al-Zahar told Reuters the group, which runs the Gaza Strip, was waiting for Abbas to form a unity government, but said the Palestinian leader was taking his time in an effort to overcome U.S. and Israeli opposition.

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