What will Hamas do next?
Photo: AP
EU's Ferrero-Waldner: Hamas must work for peace
EU: Hamas must pursue peace
Italian PM Berlusconi dismayed by Hamas victory; EU official: Hamas must disarm, end violence
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Thursday he was dismayed by reports Hamas had won the Palestinian parliamentary election.
Asked at a news briefing if France could cooperate with a Palestinian government that included Hamas, Villepin said: "I don't have the final figures but what is certain is that we are confronted by a situation that leads me to note my concern."
"If the news is true, it would be very, very negative, unfortunately," Berlusconi told a television chat show
Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin also expressed concern at Hamas overwhelming elections victory
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British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw urged Hamas to renounce violence and recognize Israel following its success in the Palestinian legislative elections.
"Hamas has to understand that with democracy goes renunciation of violence," Straw said on a visit to the Turkish capital.
"It is up to Hamas to choose. We will have to wait and see, the international community will want Hamas to make a proper rejection of violence and to acknowledge that Israel exists," Straw said.
'Hamas must disarm'
The European Union's external relations commissioner said that if Hamas is part of a new Palestinian government, it must be "ready to work for peace."
Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that while official results were not yet in from the Palestinian legislative elections, "it is clear that Hamas will get a big share" of the vote.
"In case Hamas would win or be part of a government, the most important thing is that we want to work with any government - if this government is ready to work for peace in a peaceful manner," she told lawmakers at the European Parliament.
However EU envoy Javier Solana was more explicit and stressed Hamas must disarm, end violence, and recognize Israel's right to exist in order to keep Palestinian-European ties in tact.
Solana said there was a complete contradiction between violence and the establishment of a democratic state.
Elsewhere, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan congratulated the Palestinian people Thursday on the peaceful legislative elections, which he said he views as an important step toward a Palestinian state.
The U.N. Chief "looks forward to the publication of the results of the elections over the coming days, and to discussing them" with international partners trying to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians, U.N. associate spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.
