New Hamas program to contain softer language, some old goals

PanARMENIAN.Net - Hamas officials say the group's leader will present a new political program that accepts statehood in parts of historic Palestine, but does not drop the quest for "liberating" all the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River, including what is now Israel, The Associated Press reports.

The program is to be made public Monday, May 1 in Qatar by Khaled Mashaal, the leader-in-exile of Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to reveal details to the media.

The five-page document adopts seemingly more moderate language in hopes of helping Hamas break out of its international isolation.

Hamas redefines itself as a national liberation group, distancing it from its parent movement, the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood, which has been outlawed by Gaza neighbor Egypt.