Hamas will not negotiate with Israel or repeat the mistakes of the past, according to its leader in the Occupied Territories. In an interview with Asharq al Awsat, Mahmud al Zahar, said his earlier statements in English to Radio Israel went as follows: âNegotiation is not our intention. It is a means to an end for us. If the goal is to liberate our territory and free our prisoners from Israeli jails and if the aim is to rebuild what the Israeli occupation has destroyed over many years, then we support negotiations.âThe Islamic resistance movement, he said, lacked a negotiation program and added, âUnder what capacity will we negotiate? Hamas is not a government.â Commenting on âthe [failed] experiment of the Palestinian Authority which adopted talks as a strategic choice over the past twelve yearsâ, al Zahar said, âWe do not wish to repeat that.â In his opinion, Israel did not intend to respond âto the Palestinian peopleâs demands as it proved when it cancelled the last two meetings between [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon and [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas] Abu Mazen.â