almotama.net Reuters - GAZA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said on Sunday the United States was determined to bring down his government despite the Islamist group's standing offer of a long-term truce with Israel.
Haniyeh, speaking before talks in Damascus between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, reiterated that any such accommodation with Israel did not entail recognition of the Jewish state.
"We accept a Palestinian state on the lands (Israel) occupied in 1967, but in return for a long-term truce and not recognition," Haniyeh said in a speech.
He described the offer as an alternative to Western demands for Hamas to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept existing interim peace agreements.
"With respect to the resistance, we say that there is calm," Haniyeh said. "As for the agreements, we say there is respect for them."
A Gaza ceasefire in November sharply reduced rocket attacks launched by militants against southern Israel and Israeli forces halted an offensive in the coastal territory.
Calling for a dialogue with the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- Haniyeh urged the international community to lift an aid boycott against the Hamas-led government.
But he said the United States and other members of the Quartet "practically and effectively want to bring down the government", which came to power in elections last year.
Aides to Abbas and Meshaal said in Damascus the two leaders hoped their meeting would ease a Palestinian political crisis that has led to fighting between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza and the West Bank.
Talks between Hamas and Fatah on forming a unity government broke down last year and Abbas called for new elections, balloting which Hamas said would be tantamount to a coup.
While the two factions spar, the United States and Israel have been trying to bolster Abbas in his struggle against Hamas.
Washington has put together an $86 million U.S. programme to strengthen Abbas's presidential guard and Israel transferred $100 million in withheld Palestinian tax revenues to the moderate leader on Friday.