A Hamas leader on Sunday played down reports that his movement wanted to set up a new umbrella body to replace the Palestine Liberation Organisation as the sole representative of the Palestinians. Mahmoud al-Zahar told Al Jazeera television that comments by Hamas' leader in exile, Khaled Meshaal, that some Palestinian groups were discussing the formation of a "national steering committee" as an alternative to the PLO had been misinterpreted.
"Meshaal's remarks about the resistance's programme were interpreted by (the media) to be an alternative to the PLO, and we didn't say that," Zahar, who is based in Gaza, said in Cairo in an interview with the Doha-based channel.
Zahar reiterated his Hamas' interest in joining the PLO if certain conditions were met. "We want to acquire the international and Arab legitimacy and everything that the PLO has gained through elections, and to join the PLO," he told Al Jazeera.
But he added: "We are in favour of preserving the structure of the PLO, but not its programme. If we are a minority, we will respect that. But if we are a majority, they have to respect that." According to Reuters, Zahar headed for Damascus on Sunday to consult with Meshaal on Cairo's efforts to mediate a lasting truce with Israel.
