Hamas will not recognize Israel as a state, Hamas Deputy Political Director Mousa Abu-Marzouk said here on Tuesday, according to Interfax news agency.
Slashing the Palestine Liberation Organization's recognition of Israel, Abu-Marzouk said the move was a "historic mistake."
Abu-Marzouk said Hamas was not going to participate in the transitional Palestinian government of national unity, but will help other Palestinian movements to form such a government.
He said the transitional government would be technocratic, but not based on a parliamentary majority.
"The interim government will contact with Israel even though Israel does not recognize Hamas," Abu-Marzouk said.
Also on Tuesday, a senior Fatah member said in Moscow that the Palestinians were not going to proclaim its independence unilaterally and revealed Russia would back their claim at the UN to recognize its independence.
"Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed during our meeting that Russia supported this process," said Azzam al-Ahmad, member of the Central Committee of Fatah.
Al-Ahmad also accused Israel of attempting to hamper and freeze the Middle East peace process.
On Monday, Fatah and its rival Hamas held a closed-door meeting on implementation of the Cairo deal in Moscow.
The two Palestinian factions signed a preliminary agreement in Cairo on reconciliation early this month, paving the way for forming an interim government to prepare for elections.
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