PA 'won't oppose war crimes trials for Hamas militants'

The Palestinian Authority would not oppose the prosecution of Hamas militants on war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court, Israel Radio on Saturday quoted the PA's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva as saying.

Ibrahim Khraishi reportedly made the comments after the UN Human Rights Council's voted in favor of his motion to endorse a report accusing both Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during the December-January hostilities in Gaza. Speaking in an interview with Israel Radio, Khraishi said he had no problem in saying that legal proceedings against Israel over alleged human rights abuses should also be instigated against Palestinians. But he was quoted as adding that occupiers must not be confused with the occupied. The envoy's remarks came in the wake of scathing Hamas criticism of the PA for initially withdrawing Palestinian support for a vote in the council to have the report sent to the UN General Assembly for possible action.

Fatah, the Palestinian movement that runs the PA, has been a bitter rival of Hamas ever since the Islamist group seized control of the Gaza Strip in a bloody 2007 coup.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1121610.html

Egypt announced on Saturday the latest postponement of a reconciliation agreement between rival Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah was due to "inappropriate conditions."

The announcement came after Fatah unilaterally signed the pact in Cairo on Thursday without reservations. Hamas, however, said it needed another few days to consider the document, and that the Islamist group had reservations about it.

Egypt, which has been attempting to broker the deal, had initially planned for the sides to sign the accord on Thursday. The country has yet to set a new date for a signing ceremony. Hamas' deputy political leader, Abu Marzouk, said: "Today the Hamas leadership will relay to Egypt a document containing the necessary reservations and amendments for the Egyptian document."

According to the Damascus-based official, one of the reservations is about the U.S. demand that the unity deal follow the conditions of the Quartet, which include recognition of the State of Israel, acknowledging earlier agreements and renouncing terrorism.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1121632.html

kind of like the Republicans didn't mind impeaching Bill Clinton, if there is political gain to be had national honor and such be damned

Just think what a win-win all around if both Hamas andIsrael got indicted for war crimes well actually it would be for all concerned but I was being specific to the PA here

Seemed like such a win for them, they are accused of nothing wrong, Hamas has to defend itself, Israel has to defend itself; but you never know how people are going to think.

I think the greatest "sin" he committed, un-noticed, is that the report "equates" Hamas and Israel, they are treated as parties of equal standing. This was not, I think, done intentionally, it was done to respond to claims of bias against Israel, but I think the effect of it will remain anyway, though it gets little attention so far.

do the Palestinians be they Hamas or otherwise have a right to self defense?

I was more thinking of the fact that the Israeli government has made it a policy to resist any legitimizing of Hamas as a government, and the report treats Hamas as exactly that in order to belabor it for its war crimes, thereby letting that horse out of the barn. If Hamas then prosecutes and punishes its war criminals that will only reinforce that point.

This issue also used to be known under the term "moral equivalence", we seem to have got some "moral equivalence" by the back door here.

And your point is well taken too.