Syrian president meets Hamas leader following election victory

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met on Sunday with the politburo chief of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Khaled Meshaal following the group's victory in the recent Palestinian parliamentary elections, the official SANA news agency reported.

Assad congratulated Meshaal on Hamas' winning the elections and said that the election results "will enhance the Palestinians' unity", according to the report.

The two sides also called on Arab, regional and international parties to respect the Palestinian people's will "expressed through the polling boxes" and treat the outcome as representing the Palestinian legitimacy, SANA said.

Hamas has won 74 seats out of a total of 132 parliament seats up for grab in last Wednesday's Palestinian parliamentary elections, defeating the long dominant Fatah movement now led by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Peoples Daily Online