RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 17 (UPI) -- Ismail Haniyeh, the new Palestinian prime minister, tells CBS News he has never planned a suicide bombing.
"If one of my sons came to me and asked me that, I wouldn't even consider giving him my blessing," the father of 13 said in an interview.
Hamas, a radical Islamist group blamed for the deaths of hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings, won a majority of the seats in the Palestinian parliament in the recent elections. The new government takes over next week.
Asked if Hamas would recognize Israel's right to exist and renounce terrorism, Haniyeh said the decision is Israel's.
"That depends on Israel's recognition of a Palestinian state within the boundaries of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem," he said. "Only then can there be room for talks."
Israeli leaders say that Hamas must renounce violence and recognize their country before there can be any negotiations.
