Hamas leader: Olmert too weak to negotiate

DAMASCUS, Syria, May 24 (UPI) -- Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas' political bureau, said Saturday he does not believe Israel's negotiations with Syria are serious.

Mashaal said Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is too weak to negotiate either with the Palestinians or with Syria, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. Olmert is the target of a corruption investigation.

Mashaal lives in Damascus. He spoke at a joint news conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Manochehr Mottaki.

He also called on Israel to end its isolation of Gaza, now controlled by Hamas.

"If the international community and the concerned parties don't take the initiative and break the siege, we will break it ourselves," he said. "We insist on opening all crossings, particularly Rafah."