Islam Times - Hamas rejects peace talks’ framework – nervous about future

Islam Times - The Hamas which made clear earlier this month that it does not support rejected US Secretary of State John Kerry's framework for Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations, is reportedly getting suspicious that a deal will be brokered without their officials being consulted.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh quite categorically rejected Kerry’s peace talks’ deal earlier in February when he noted, “The so-called American framework is not binding for us," Haniyeh said during a reception of former female prisoners in the Gaza City. This framework to resolve the Palestinian issue is unfair and imposes the Zionist violation of the Palestinian land."

The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), which has been engaged in peace talks with Israel since July, also rejects many articles of Kerry's plan, saying it adopts Israel's vision and neglected the Palestinian demands.

The framework is meant to serve as a basis to extend the US-brokered negotiations when their nine-month tenure ends in April.

The Palestinians, who see the talks as unproductive, oppose any extension of the two-state negotiations.

Hamas would not agree to give up "any inch of the land of Palestine," Haniyeh stressed.
Hamas will hold elections for student and trade unions in the Gaza Strip, a spokesman for the Palestinian faction said Monday.

Sami Abu Zuhri told Ma'an that Hamas held a meeting Monday to announce that the Gaza government would organize elections for union leaders.

Zuhri said the elections would adopt a system of proportional representation, and that a committee had been appointed to decide on an exact mechanism for the elections.

Union elections in Palestine are heavily politicized, as the winners often serve as a point of reference for the level of popularity of various political factions.