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Middle East conflict

EU rules out HAMAS participation in future Middle East peace conference

"Hamas is a terrorist organization and we want to engage with leaders, with countries," European Council President Charles Michel said

BRUSSLES, October 27. /TASS/. The European Union sees no possibility of HAMAS participation in a future Middle East peace conference, European Council President Charles Michel told reporters after the first day of the EU summit in Brussels.

"Hamas is a terrorist organization and we want to engage with leaders, with countries," he said, when asked whether HAMAS may be invited to a peace conference in the future. "That’s why I don’t see any role of HAMAS at such an international conference."

Michel added that the European Union supports the idea of holding such a conference "soon" and hopes to achieve progress in the coming weeks and months.

Spanish authorities propose to convene an international conference in six months in order to find a solution to the Middle East conflict, Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said upon arriving to the EU Summit in Brussels on October 26.

The situation in the Middle East has escalated abruptly after an armed infiltration of HAMAS militant from the Gaza Strip into Israel. The HAMAS movement considers this attack a response to the actions of Israeli authorities towards the Al Aqsa Mosque at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Israel announced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip and started carrying out strikes at the enclave and at certain areas of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes also take place in the West Bank.

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