Hamas rejects government participation offer

Hamas, the Palestinian National Resistance Movement, rejected a call from the Palestinian government to addressed to it participate in the new government, which is supposed to be formed within the coming weeks.

The spokesman for Hamas in Jordan, Ibrahim Gosheh, said, "Hamas confirms its refusal to participate in any government."

Gosheh stated that Hamas's refusal is agreed to by Hamas' leadership. The Palestinian government has detained many Hamas members in recent months, most notably chief spokesman Abdul-Aziz Rantisi, who has since been released.

Muhammad El-Zahar, a Hamas leader, said the Palestinian government called on Hamas to participate in the new government, and Hamas received an invitation last Friday to meet President Arafat on Tuesday.