In shift, a top Hamas official floats Israel recognition

DOHA, Qatar — A senior Hamas official suggested the Gaza-based militant group would recognize Israel as a step toward ending the long-running divisions between the Palestinian factions.  

Speaking to Al-Monitor in his Doha office on Monday, Mousa Abu Marzouk struck a careful tone on Israel some two months after his group carried out the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.  

“You should follow the official stance,” Abu Marzouk said. “The official stance is that the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) has recognized the state of Israel.”

The PLO, the internationally recognized umbrella grouping for most Palestinian factions, excluding Hamas and Islamic Jihad, formally recognized Israel’s right to exist and renounced terrorism in 1993. In exchange, Israel accepted the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people.