Ma'an – Ahmad Yousef, political advisor to deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Monday that the Hamas-led government in the Gaza Strip would seek understanding and dialogue with Western powers, including the United States. "Since the beginning, Hamas' manifesto has been flexible and moderate, and its perspective of the West has called for … understanding and avoidance of conflict and confrontation," Yousef said in a statement released by the cabinet of the Gaza Strip's de facto government.| "Since the beginning, Hamas' manifesto has been flexible and moderate, and its perspective of the West has called for … understanding and avoidance of conflict and confrontation," Yousef said. |
The statement comes amid preparations for a Middle East peace summit in the US city of Annapolis at the end of November. Hamas has been excluded from the meeting, although the group holds power in the key Gaza Strip, home to 1.5 million Palestinians and a key part of any future Palestinian state. Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections of 2006.
