Islamic Jihad leader says his group, Hamas may join PLO

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An Islamic Jihad leader said Monday that The Palestine Liberation Organization may let his group and Hamas join its ranks for the first time.

Both Islamic groups have long objected to joining the mainstream PLO, opposing its peace moves with Israel, but have recently softened their stance and agreed to a temporary halt to attacks against Israel.

The PLO, the main governing body of the Palestinian people, was founded by the late Yasser Arafat in the early 1960s and has sought to achieve Palestinian statehood in territories captured by Israel.

In a meeting late on Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to Islamic Jihad members taking part in a meeting of the PLO executive this week to help cement the March 17 truce, Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed al-Hindi said.

Haaretz