CAIRO, March 30 (UPI) -- Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal said the militant group would not join a Palestinian national unity government despite participating in general elections.
Cairo's mass-circulation daily al-Ahram Wednesday quoted Mashaal as saying, "We will not even raise the issue of participating in the national unity government because Hamas does not accept most of the projects which are being considered by the Palestinian Authority at present."
He stressed, however, that Hamas is ready to be part of the effort to reshuffle and restructure the Palestine Liberation Organization as a prelude to joining it.
Mahsaal underlined the group's keenness to participate in legislative elections slated for July in order to boost democracy and power sharing.
He also cautioned against inter-Palestinian struggle over the lands to be evacuated by Israeli settlers, which amount to one-third of the Gaza Strip's area.
"We fear a struggle in that sense and warn that it is not within the rights of the Palestinian Authority and Fatah to control these lands," he added.
