French initiative to hold peace talks 'waste of time': Hamas

The Islamic Hamas movement on Sunday said the French initiative to hold an international peace conference to end the decades of conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis is "a waste of time and a vaudeville".

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zohri said: "All proposed initiatives to resume the settlement process (peace process) in the current phase is a waste of time and vaudeville to Palestinians."

The initiative was "like other initiatives that are being proposed in light of the continued Israeli occupation and its denial of Palestinians rights, which makes any initiative meaningless", he said.

He also said the Palestinian National Authority "backs such initiatives in order to misguide and distract the people although it is aware that the settlement process has come to a dead end."

Meanwhile, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat welcomed France's proposal to convene a peace summit on May 30, including Arab and European states.

Erekat said the international community should back France and all influential countries in attempts to hold the international peace conference with pre-set references in compliance with international law.

On Friday, French Ambassador to Israel Patrick Maisonnave said he gave the Israeli prime minister's office an invitation to take part in the peace summit, according to the Israeli public radio.

The peace talks between Israel and Palestine have been stalled since April 2014. The US sponsored talks that lasted for nine months achieved no tangible results.

--IANS

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