Hamas rejected the demands of the US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt to accept the requirements of the International Quartet for Peace in the region, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

"Hamas expresses its rejection to American blackmail and biased demands that serves Israeli interests, and has been earlier explained by Greenblatt," Hamas said in an official press statement.

Israeli media earlier reported that Greenblatt had stated that in order to recognise any Palestinian unity government, Hamas would have to recognise Israel and disarm.

"It is blatant interference into internal Palestinian affairs and aims at putting a stick into the wheel of reconciliation.

“Hamas reiterates that it will carry on implementing all the steps for reconciliation," the Hamas statement said.

The International Quartet, which comprises the United States, United Nations, the European Union and Russia, had asked Hamas in 2006 to recognise Israel, condemn violence, and recognise the peace treaties signed with Israel.

Hamas, which won the Palestinian parliamentary elections held in 2006, rejected the Quartet's requirements. Israel has imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip while the Quartet imposed an embargo.

"Hamas will not pay any attention to the attempts of sabotaging this track  or obstructing it (Palestinian reconciliation)" they said.

Last week, Hamas leaders and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party signed an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation agreement, where Hamas agreed to hand over ruling of the Gaza Strip to Abbas’ consensus government.

Bassim Na’eem, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, had earlier said that Greenblatt's words are "a barefaced interference into Palestinian affairs."

- Bernama