PA foreign minister says Hamas knows it cannot be in new ‘technocratic’ government

By AFP 28 February 2024, 5:07 pm 1 Edit

Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki speaks during a press conference on the sideline of the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 28, 2024. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki says he believes Hamas understands why it should not be part of a new government in the Palestinian territories.

Maliki tells a press conference that a “technocratic” government is needed, without the Islamist terror group which is fighting a bitter war against Israel.

“The time now is not for a national coalition government,” Maliki says.

“The time now is not for a government where Hamas will be part of it, because, in this case, then it will be boycotted by a number of countries, as happened before,” he tells the UN correspondents’ association.

“We don’t want to be in a situation like that. We want to be accepted and engaging fully with the international community,” he explains.