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Clinton urges Hamas to end violence, recognize Israel


WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that talks to reconcile Palestinian factions will only produce results if Hamas agrees to recognize Israel and other international terms.In an interview with US radio that, Clinton backed the idea of Palestinian unity."I believe that its important, if there is some reconciliation and a move toward a unified authority, that its very clear that Hamas knows the conditions that have been set forth by the quartet, by the Arab summit," she said.With Arab backing, the diplomatic quartet of the United States, the European Union, United Nations and Russia have laid out three conditions that any Palestinian partners in peace talks with Israel must meet.Clinton reiterated those conditions, saying: "They must renounce violence, recognize Israel, and abide by previous commitments," such as the Oslo peace accords."Otherwise, I don’t think it will result in the kind of positive step forward either for the Palestinian people or as a vehicle for a reinvigorated effort to obtain peace that leads to a Palestinian state," Clinton said.

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