<Hamas Halts Truce Talks With Abbas

Friday, June 6, 2003
(3:04 PM ET)
By Gred Myre
New York Times Writer

Hamas has never recognized Israel, and says it is fighting for the destruction of the Jewish state. Hamas has carried out more bombings than any other Palestinian group in the current Mideast fighting, which began in September 2000.

JERUSALEM -- NYT
Top Hamas leaders said today that the militant Islamic group was calling off cease-fire talks with Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, a move that poses a direct challenge to the current Middle East peace plan.

The statements by the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip came a day after Israeli troops killed two Hamas members in a shootout in the West Bank.

It also followed criticism by Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, of Mideast peace talks between Mr. Abbas and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel convened in Aqaba, Jordan, on Wednesday by President Bush.

Under the peace plan, known as the road map, the Palestinians are obligated to stop violence against Israel, and Mr. Abbas has been trying to negotiate a truce with Hamas and other groups responsible for bombing and shooting attacks.

Further talks were expected this weekend, but Hamas said it was calling off the negotiations with Mr. Abbas after Wednesday's summit meeting in Jordan.

At the Aqaba talks, Mr. Abbas, commonly known as Abu Mazen, called for an end to the ``armed intifada,'' or uprising.
(More: Yahoo! News)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=68&ncid=68&e=3&u=/nyt/20030606/ts_nyt/hamashaltstrucetalkswithabbas
2003 © The New York Times.

Dan