British politicians meet Hamas leader in Syria
Six-member delegation meets Khaled Mashaal in effort to urge British government to talk to Hamas
A delegation of British politicians pressing their government to hold direct talks with Hamas has met with the Palestinian group's exiled leader, Khaled Mashaal, in Syria.
Britain, along with the United States and the European Union, considers Hamas a terrorist organization and refuses to have talks with the group, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
The six politicians include Labor Party member Clare Short and Jenny Tonge, a parliamentarian who was fired as her party's spokeswoman on children's issues after expressing understanding for Palestinian suicide bombers in 2004.
Short told reporters in Syria on Saturday that the aim of the visit was to urge the British government to talk to Hamas in the interest of peace.
Recently, Britain softened its stance on dialogue with another Arab group. The British government announced that it is open to talks with the political wing of Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hizbullah.
"We have reconsidered the position ... in light of more positive developments within Lebanon," Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell told a parliamentary committee. "For that reason we have explored establishing contacts."
