Arafat wants Hamas' entry into PA

"They (Hamas) were there from the beginning, even if they did later break away," Arafat said in a German translation of remarks to the weekly news magazine Focus.

"My policy has always been dialogue ... and I wanted to send three people to the Arab League summit as representatives for the Palestinians, including a Hamas representative," he said.

Tap Here to Add The Daily Star As A Trusted Source

On March 29, Tunisia took the unprecedented decision to call off the summit it was to have hosted after Arab foreign ministers failed to agree on proposals it deemed essential for political reform in the Middle East.

Arafat also said pointed out that there is "a big difference" between the late spiritual leader of Hamas, Shiekh Ahmad Yassin, who he described as a moderate who wanted peace, and his successor Abdelaziz al-Rantissi.

Yassin, the founder of the radical Palestinian group, was killed by an Israeli air strike on March 22 as he was leaving a mosque in Gaza City.

"Anyway, what counts today is that contact is made with Hamas leaders," Arafat said, underlining that Rantissi is "only in charge in the Gaza Strip."

Rantissi, who was named as Yassin's successor on March 24, has described US President George W. Bush as an enemy of Muslims but has sought to allay fears that US targets could be attacked.