March 13, 2009

LONDON: Two high-profile European parliamentary delegations were set to bound for Syria to meet with Hamas's political leadership there as part of a European moves aims at ending isolating the Movement.

The Quds Press quoted those sources as affirming that the two delegations would land in Syria within few days, and would comprise 15 lawmakers from Britain, Scotland, Ireland, Greece, and Italy, adding that they would hold talks with the Movement leadership in Damascus.

According to the sources, the discussion would focus on recognizing Hamas as legitimate Movement duly and democratically elected by the Palestinian people in 2006 to rule them, and thus international isolation of the Movement must end, and Europe should reformulate its relationship with the Movement.

The sources, furthermore, added that three years of international isolation of Hamas proved that the Movement could be sidelined and ignored in the regional issues if the international community indeed wants peace to prevail in the region.

The European legislators are expected to pay visit to Palestinian refugee camps in Syria to listen to demands of the refugees, especially their right to return to their homes, from which they were driven out by Israeli gangs at gunpoint in 1948.