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EU 'still in contact with Hamas'
14 December 2004
The European Union is still in contact with Hamas, the Palestinian terror group's leader has claimed.
Khaled Mishaal's remarks follow the Hamas tunnel attack that killed five Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint.
They threaten to put fresh pressure on Foreign Secretary Jack Straw over what Britain knew of contacts with the group.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana caused consternation when he said there had been recent contact last month.
Mr Solana's office issued a hasty clarification insisting he had only met people close to Hamas.
But Mr Mishaal says the EU, which banned Hamas in September 2003 following pressure form the US, is still in touch.
Arab countries are defying the Americans by continuing meetings and even the US administration has been in touch "in past months", he says.
"The European Union, which put Hamas on a list of terrorist organisations, is still continuing communications and meetings," he tells BBC2's Newsnight.
"They recognise Hamas's authority and that there is no understanding or stability in Palestine without a dialogue with Hamas.
"The American administration, which also put us on terror lists and criticises us, contacted us in past months. The Arab countries are continuing meetings with Hamas despite pressure from the American administration."