A new Palestinian parliament dominated by the militant group Hamas has been inaugurated in the West Bank and Gaza.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas asked Hamas to form a government, but called for the group to respect the Oslo accords signed with Israel. He stressed that Palestinians must seek an independent state by negotiation, and hit out at unilateral Israeli measures and military strikes. A Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, has been nominated as prime minister. The group`s Gaza-based members joined the ceremony by video link, as Israel has not allowed them to travel to the West Bank town of Ramallah.


Hope v despair
 In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Abbas reminded delegates of his commitment to negotiation. He called for greater funds to develop Palestinian institutions, and insisted that only "one legitimate force" should operate within the Palestinian Authority.

 
Palestinians must aim for a free society, Mr Abbas said, where hope replaces despair. He urged Hamas to respect the process of negotiation, but reserved strong words for Israel, insisting that the Palestinians would not accept a state with temporary borders. "In order to achieve security we must have peace. There is no military solution to this conflict," Mr Abbas. "The continuation of occupation and settlement... will only increase despair. Let us make peace so we can live in two states side by side."
 
Hamas doubts
Speaking in Gaza earlier a senior Hamas figure, Mahmoud Zahar, called Hamas` victory a historic moment for the Palestinian people.
However, Israel refuses to deal with Hamas unless the party recognises their state and lays down its arms. Speaking to the BBC, the Hamas member already chosen as speaker for the new parliament, Aziz Duaik, said the issue of recognising Israel was a two-way process. "Any kind of recognition should go between a state and a state and this is not the case in our situation. "The other thing is how can you recognise a state which doesn`t recognise you, even recognise the basic rights of the Palestinians?" Hamas will boast 74 members within the new parliament, with just 45 representatives from Mr Abbas` Fatah party, formerly the dominant group. Israel has postponed until Sunday any decision on whether to impose sanctions on the Palestinian Authority after Hamas` election win.