EU denies it may remove Hamas from terror list

An EU official denied claims made by Hamas Tuesday that Europe would remove the group from its list of terror organizations if it engaged in indirect talks with Israel, saying the organization had to meet the demands of the international community if it wished to be treated like a legitimate player.

Hamas must recognize Israel’s right to exist, renounce terror and comply with all the agreements signed between Jerusalem and the Palestinian Authority, the source told Israel Radio on Tuesday evening.

Earlier in the day Izzat Rishak, a member of Hamas’s Gaza leadership, said Europe was considering altering his organization’s status, if it engaged in indirect talks with Israel over the terms of the latest ceasefire between the sides, following an eight-day escalation last month that saw Gaza terror organizations fire upwards of 1,500 rockets into Israel and Israel strike terror targets throughout Gaza.

Hamas would consider such a move to ease the suffering of residents of the Gaza Strip, but would not talk about the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Rishak old Army Radio.