Hamas slams Blair's statements as old scenario

GAZA, (PIC)-- The Hamas Movement deplored the statement of Tony Blair, the envoy of the Quartet to the Middle East, in which he said that Hamas must be included in the peace process but after renouncing resistance and recognizing Israel, considering it the same old scenario repeated by the West to cover up for its rejection of the Palestinian democracy. In a press statement received by the PIC, MP Mushir Al-Masri, the secretary-general of the Hamas parliamentary bloc, said that such statements are worthless and ridiculous because the idea of integrating the Movement into the peace process is rejected earlier by the Movement and many Arab and international parties. MP Masri underscored that Blair's statement is considered a recognition that Hamas is a primary force in the Palestinian arena, adding that the repeated talk about not ignoring Hamas confirms the European and global realization that all attempts to eliminate Hamas have failed. The lawmaker noted that the only gateway to the Palestinian cause and the implementation of any agreement can only be achieved through the Movement. For its part, the Palestinian government considered Blair's statement a clear recognition of the centrality of Hamas in the process of conflict and peace in the middle east. In a statement to the Bayan information center, Dr. Yousef Rizqa, an advisor to premier Ismail Haneyya, pointed out that a change can be noticed in Blair's statements about Hamas resulting from the steadfastness of the Gaza Strip in the face of the Israeli aggression. Dr. Rizqa said that Blair's statements also show that he still assumes the wrong role when talking about moderation and peace and not denouncing the killing of children, women and the use of internationally prohibited weapons by Israel. Haneyya's advisor criticized Blair for not visiting Gaza so far to see the enormity of the Israeli crimes against unarmed civilians. http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/en/default.