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Last update - 19:54 15/04/2009
British lawmakers meet Hamas leader in Syria
By Reuters
Tags: Meshal, Israel News, Hamas 

A British parliamentary delegation on a visit to Syria has met Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal as part of European efforts to communicate with the Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas said on Wednesday.

The meeting with Meshal, who lives in Syria, took place in Damascus on Tuesday.

The British Embassy confirmed the meeting but denied a Syrian media report that Ambassador Simon Collis attended.
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Richard Spring, a member of parliament from the opposition Conservative party who heads the nine-member delegation, was not among those who met Meshaal, the embassy said.

The British government boycotts Hamas, in line with a European Union position not to have official contacts with the group unless it renounces armed struggle, recognizes Israel's right to exist and past agreements between the Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

In March, four members of the British parliament urged the British government to end its boycott of the Palestinian group after meeting Meshal.

Calls have mounted in Britain and major European powers to engage with Hamas after Israel's offensive against the Islamist group in Gaza, which ended in January.
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  1.   Hamas says Jews+IL must be destroyed-so what did they talk about 23:30  |  Alan SA 15/04/09
  2.   Engagement ALWAYS better than isolation 02:22  |  Adam 16/04/09
  3.   #1 Adam 05:32  |  George Kaplan 16/04/09
  4.   This article is confusing. 06:13  |  Jasper 16/04/09
  5.   to Adam......like Chamberlain did........ 16:19  |  maurice 16/04/09
  6.   Why is this your business? 18:49  |  Marilyn 16/04/09
  7.   Marilyn 21:37  |  Jasper 16/04/09
  8.   liarss hamas has accepted a palestinian state in `67 borders 22:26  |  more 16/04/09
  9.   @ Marilyn 22:52  |  Brutus 16/04/09
  10.   what are we to believe? 03:28  |  Jasper 17/04/09
  11.   They were there for their marching orders. 14:17  |  Petra 21/04/09
  12.   # 6 Marilyn we all see Englands `disease`. 14:20  |  petra 21/04/09
  13.   # 3 George Kaplan excellent retort. 14:23  |  petra 21/04/09
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