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US 'ready' for non-Hamas contacts US 'ready' for non-Hamas contacts
(about 2 hours later)
The United States has decided that it will have contact with some of the new ministers in the Palestinian government which was sworn in on Saturday. The US says it has decided that it will have contact with some of the new ministers in the Palestinian unity government, sworn in on Saturday.
A US consular official in Jerusalem said the US would maintain contact with ministers it feels it can work with.A US consular official in Jerusalem said the US would maintain contact with ministers it feels it can work with.
US officials deny this amounts to a shift in policy, saying they will still not deal with Hamas.US officials deny this amounts to a shift in policy, saying they will still not deal with Hamas.
Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has urged the international community to have nothing to do with the new government. Israeli PM Ehud Olmert urged the international community to have nothing to do with the new government.
Mr Olmert said the platform of the Palestinian government led by Ismail Haniya of Hamas included "some extremely problematic elements which can't be accepted by Israel or the international community".
Mr Olmert said the programme fell short of international demands to renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept past peace agreements.
The prime minister's policy statement was overwhelmingly endorsed by the Israeli cabinet on Sunday.
'Ending isolation''Ending isolation'
It seems the US has decided to subtly change its stance towards the Palestinian government. The US said on Sunday it was ready to deal with Palestinian government ministers who were not members of Hamas, which is regarded as a terrorist group by Washington.
That government now contains ministers from a number of parties and not just from the Islamist Hamas movement. We can't maintain contact with the government or its ministers when you consider that this is a government that does not accept the conditions of the international community and sees terror as a legitimate goal Ehud OlmertIsraeli Prime Minister
But by stating the US will deal with some ministers, Washington is bringing to an end the political isolation it helped to impose on the Palestinian government. "Individuals who are not members of foreign terrorist organisations but who do hold office in the unity government, we do not rule out contact with those individuals," said Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, spokeswoman for the US consulate in Jerusalem.
Other countries, most notably in Europe, have also signalled a similar change in stance. It seems the US has decided to subtly change its stance towards the Palestinian government, says the BBC's Matthew Price in Jerusalem.
The national unity government now contains ministers from a number of parties, including Fatah of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
By stating the US will deal with some ministers, Washington is bringing to an end the political isolation it helped to impose on the Palestinian government, our correspondent says.
He says that other countries, most notably in Europe, have also signalled a similar change in stance.
Israel had hoped to be able to persuade the international community to maintain its boycott of the Palestinian government which Israel deems unacceptable.Israel had hoped to be able to persuade the international community to maintain its boycott of the Palestinian government which Israel deems unacceptable.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said the new government limits Israel's ability to conduct talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. 'Implicit recognition'
On Sunday, the Palestinian cabinet held its first session in Gaza City and by video link in Ramallah. Mr Abbas was also present.
Clashes between Fatah and Hamas gunmen have left scores dead
The government pledged to tackle rampant lawlessness and end the crippling international aid freeze, imposed after Hamas won elections in January last year.
On Saturday, PM Ismail Haniya said his goal was the creation of a Palestinian state that included lands occupied by Israel in 1967.
Our correspondent says that some see this as an implicit recognition of Israel's existence, in contrast with Hamas' past calls to eliminate the Jewish state.
Mr Abbas has appointed a senior official in his Fatah party, Mohammed Dahlan, as national security adviser.
Mr Dahlan is known to be a strong opponent of Hamas, and has been involved in frequent verbal clashes with its leaders.