Hamas leader - Fugitives won't sign pledges to halt attacks

CAIRO, Egypt -- Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said Thursday that fugitives in his Palestinian group would not sign pledges to halt attacks because that would negate the legitimacy of their right to fight the Israeli occupation.

Mashaal, in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials ahead of a historic Israeli-Palestinian summit next week, also denied any links to the al-Qaida terrorist network or Iraqi insurgents, saying Hamas is "a nationalist liberation movement" limiting its operations against the Israeli occupation.

"Our battle is inside Palestine with the Israeli occupation. We have no relation with what's going on in Iraq.

"But we are, like all Arabs and Muslims, supporting the Iraqi people's right to resist the American occupation," Mashaal said.

Mashaal, who lives in Syria, is attending talks with Egyptian officials and other Syrian-based leaders of the Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad to try to secure a cease-fire in attacks against Israelis.

Hamas and other factions say they will stop if Israel halts targeted killings of Palestinian leaders and attacks on Palestinian cities.

Israel had said it would agree to stop hunting fugitives, provided they sign a pledge to halt attacks and hand over weapons.

"We won't accept that (the signing of a pledge) because the Palestinian has carried out his right to defend his people against the occupation," Mashaal said. "No Palestinian would accept such signing because he would condemn himself. And this is a legitimate right."

He said his group is awaiting more details on Israel's response to a Hamas offer for a conditional cease-fire and it would be studied in meetings with Egyptian officials.

"We will discuss the details of the calm or truce -- the conditions and the time ceiling -- when we see the truth of the Israeli position from the Palestinian conditions," he said. "We heard some (responses). Not enough. It needs more scrutiny and follow-up."

In efforts toward a cease-fire, Israeli Cabinet ministers on Thursday approved the release of 900 Palestinian prisoners and a military withdrawal from the West Bank town of Jericho within days. The ministers also approved an earlier decision by the army chief to halt targeted killings of wanted Palestinian fugitives and agreed to form a joint Israeli-Palestinian committee to decide what to do about them.

Islamic Jihad's leader Ramadan Shallah, also attending the talks, said the number of those to be released "is unacceptable."

"The way Israel is dealing with the issue of prisoners is also unacceptable," he said. "We have one clear and specific demand, that is the release of all prisoners and detainees in (Israeli) prisons. ... These are freedom fighters."

On Tuesday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak hosts a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II to address Israeli-Palestinian issues, including a cease-fire.

Mashaal said the summit shows an increased momentum and regional commitment to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

"There is no doubt a high degree of acceleration in the events," he said. "The Palestinian issue is a thorny one and many of the regional powers are working to solve it."

But Mashaal insisted the truce is not a matter of fact, nor is it final. Resistance, he said, is a legitimate right until the Palestinians get their rights.

Mashaal said a number of factors will affect the summit, including Israel's fatigue in dealing with the uprising, and whether there is international pressure on Sharon to ease his grip on the Palestinians.

"We look forward to seeing that there is hope for the Palestinian people to get their rights," he said.