Tony Blair and Hamas: Militant Palestinian group confirms meetings with former PM – and says ceasefire deal with Israel is possible

Hamas, the militant Palestinian group in control of Gaza, believes there is a chance to reach a long-term ceasefire deal with Israel if the Jewish state takes steps to improve the lives of Gazans, a senior figure within the organisation has told The Independent.

Hassan Yousef, a founder of the group and one of its senior leaders in the West Bank, said Israel’s agreement to its demands would need to be backed up by international guarantees, as he confirmed reports that Hamas had held meetings with Tony Blair over the past three months. “We are waiting for Israeli answers,” he said, after the exiled Hamas political chief Khaled Meshaal set out the group’s conditions in contacts that included two meetings with Mr Blair.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/tony-blair-and-hamas-militant-palestinian-group-confirms-meetings-with-former-pm--and-says-ceasefire-deal-with-israel-is-possible-10466277.html