Hamas pours cold water on truce talk

There had been speculation after talks last week between Zahar and new PLO chairman Mahmud Abbas that the Islamist movement could again declare a truce in a repeat of the gesture made during Abbas' time as prime minister last year.

But Zahar told a rarm press conference that talk of a truce had not even featured in the discussions.

"No {ingle word was said about a truce," he told reporters.

"Until now we are still defending ourselves, defending our people, pushing the Israelis outside our territory."

Hamas is boycotting next month's election to replace the late Yasser Arafat as president of the Palestinian Authority. Abbas is standing as the candidate for the dominant Fatah faction.

But Zahar confirmed that Hamas would contest municipal elections which are being staged from December 23 and parliamentary elections which should take place in the spring.

Zahar said his movement wanted to eradicate institutional corruption by contesting the elections.