Israeli forces incur in Jenin, detain 18 Palestinians; Hamas admits indirect contacts with Washington

The founder of the Hamas movement, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, admitted making indirect contacts between the movement and the American administration, but these contacts did not produce results.

He announced that Hamas accepts the foundation of a Palestinian state on the whole of the West Bank and Gaza, according to the borders of 1967, in return for a truce with Israel, but without recognizing Israel on the other parts of the historical state of Palestine.

Meantime, the occupation forces incurred in Jenin, and detained 18 Palestinians, including the Fatah movement official in Jenin camp.

In a press interview, Yassin stressed that earlier contacts were made between Hamas and the American administration, but had no results. He said that the contacts were made through mediators he had described as "journalists and visiting delegations, and were aiming at improving the relations and understand the other."

Yassin denied that Hamas had asked Washington to lift its name from the terrorist groups list, or to lift the restrictions imposed on its assets, and to mediate with Israel to stop targeting its leaders in return for a halt of its attacks inside Israel. He said "I confirm that Hamas did not ask for lifting its name, or releasing its assets, or halting the assassination of its leaders.. Hamas's demands are always demands of liberation from occupation, colonialism and the Zionist settlement.. liberating the Palestinian land and people.."

Yassin denied Hamas to have had taken any decision to halt operations inside Israel, despite the facts that no attacks have been carried out for more than two months. He attributed this to the assessments of the movement's military department.

Meantime, Palestinian sources said that the occupation forces incurred yesterday at dawn in the quarters of western Jenin, and carried out breaking in operations into several houses, during which 14 Palestinians were detained, including Ata Abu Rumeilah, the secretary of the Fatah movement in Jenin camp, as well as two members in al-Aqsa martyrs groups, of the Fatah movement.

The Palestinian army carried out a campaign of arrest in Qabatya town near Jenin, during which two Palestinians from the town were detained.