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Doha: Mahmoud Al Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, drew criticism from Palestinian students at a public debating forum for "failing" to end the feud with Fatah that has cost hundreds of Palestinian lives.
Speaking at a special session of the Doha Debates, held at Qatar Foundation headquarters, on Tuesday his critics told him that violence was un-Islamic and that "an eye for an eye" was no way to achieve peace.
Another young critic asked why Hamas and Fatah could not bring themselves to end the split in the Palestinian leadership in the same way that opposing factions have just done in Lebanon, with mediation by Qatar.
Al Zahar, a surgeon and former foreign minister in the short-lived Hamas government, replied that nobody in Hamas is happy with what is happening. He said that Hamas offered "an open hand" to Fatah to negotiate a peace deal.
But he warned that a peace agreement with Fatah or with Israel was unlikely until US President George Bush leaves the White House. He accused the Bush administration of encouraging Fatah as well as Israel to stifle any genuine deal with Hamas.
"I think under the present US administration peace will not be achieved."
On the current Egyptian-brokered truce talks with Israel, Al Zahar said: "If the Israelis are willing to stop their aggression we will stop our reaction. We are looking for a truce but it should be a fair truce." The debate will be broadcast on the BBC next month.
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