Islamic Hamas movement Tuesday played down the expectation of the upcoming meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington.
The meeting slated for Thursday between Abbas and Obama is "the continuation to the way of begging and losing bets on the United States and the Zionist entity," said Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza.
Hamas believes Abbas will come under pressure by the U.S. administration when he meets Obama, so Hamas "will not be committed to any agreement Abbas signs with any party in the world, " Barhoum added.
"We warn against harming any of our people's rights and principles," Barhoum said, calling for restoring the Palestinian unity.
As for his meeting with Obama, Abbas said Monday he will urge the United States to force Israel to stop expanding current settlements and building new ones in the West Bank.
Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement have been locked in a power struggle since the Islamic movement won the parliamentary elections in 2006.
Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces and seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 and Abbas consolidated his power in the West Bank.
Egypt has been mediating between the two movements in a bid to broker a Palestinian national accord to end the schism.
(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2009)
