Israeli official meets jailed Hamas legislators

Occupied Jerusalem: An Israeli official recently met a group of Palestinian prisoners that included jailed Hamas legislators, despite Israel's formal boycott of the militant group, a newspaper reported yesterday.

Motti Zaken, an adviser on Arab affairs at the Internal Security Ministry, discussed with the lawmakers their political views, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily said, quoting unnamed sources from Hamas, which now heads the Palestinian government.

The newspaper quoted a ministry official as saying Zaken had met some of the 2,200 prisoners held at two jails, among them Hamas legislators, "to assess their mood".

It was the first such reported contact between an Israeli official and Hamas.

Israel has jailed about a dozen Hamas members of parliament over alleged security offences. Hamas won 74 seats in the 132-member legislature in the January 25 Palestinian election.

Asked about the report, ministry spokesman Yehuda Maman said Zaken had met "security prisoners" about two weeks ago "as part of his professional work". He declined to elaborate.

All but Russia have also refused any diplomatic contacts with Hamas officials, though Mahmoud Al Zahar, the Palestinian Foreign Minister from Hamas, said on Sunday he had met a European foreign minister during a recent tour of Arab countries.

Challenge

Zahar would not say with whom he had met. But a European diplomatic source cast doubt that such a meeting had occurred.

European countries have also begun to challenge a US-backed freeze on funds to the Hamas-led government, which some fear has brought the Palestinian National Authority close to collapse.