The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on Monday evening that it has agreed in principle to join the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), but insisted on reforming the bloc.

Mahmoud al Zahar, Hamas leader in Gaza, made the announcement to reporters following talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza.

Al Zahar told the reporters that the group agreed to join the PLO but conditioned the participation on reforming the organization, adding that the final decision on whether to join it has to be made by Hamas leaders abroad.

The PLO is the main governing body of the Palestinian people, which was founded by the late leader Yasser Arafat in the early 1960s and has grouped a number of Palestinian groups and parties, including the mainstream Fatah movement now led by Abbas.

Al Zahar revealed that his talks with Abbas also covered how to implement the agreements that Palestinian groups reached at the inter-Palestinian dialogue held in Cairo in mid March which yielded a comprehensive and conditional truce with Israel.

Describing the talks as "positive and important," al Zahar said the Hamas delegation and Abbas also discussed the internal Palestinian situation and the July 17 legislative elections.

The Islamic Hamas, bent on the destruction of Israel, used to oppose joining the PLO. However, the group modified its stances recently by opening merge talks with the PLO and agreeing to a temporary halt to violence against Israel.

Hamas also announced to take part in the coming legislative elections. The group boycotted the first parliamentary elections in the Palestinian territories in 1996.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2005)