Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said on Monday that Israel has to reconsider carrying out the Gaza pullout plan if the Islamic radical group Hamas wins the Palestinian parliamentary elections due on July 17.

Shalom made the remarks after he met with Palestinian Interior Minister Nasser Youssef in a Jerusalem hotel.

"It seems to me unreasonable to move forward with the implementation of the disengagement plan as if nothing had happened and hand over the territories only for Hamas to create a'Hamastan'," said Shalom when asked about Israel's response to the possible Hamas winning in the coming elections.

Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the expected pullout from the Gaza Strip will be delayed until mid-August to avoid clashing with a traditional Jewish period of mourning.

Shalom also declared that there is no place for Hamas in the Palestinian political arena as long as the group remains armed. He added that he called upon the Palestinian National Authority to prevent Hamas' participation in the elections during his talks with Youssef.

"We should all delay the integration of Hamas in the political system. There is no room in a democratic society for a party carrying arms and dealing with terror against neighboring citizens," he said.

Youssef, however, said Hamas' participation in the elections was of great importance to the Palestinian political life.

Hamas, an Islamic group bent on the destruction of Israel, has gained massive street popularity while spearheading an over four-year armed uprising against the Israeli occupation. The group has declared that it will stand in the legislative elections for the first time in its history.

(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2005)