Netanyahu statement proves 8216;absurdity8217; of talks: Hamas

8220;We call for the adoption of an Arab and Palestinian strategy based on resistance and the preservation of our rights in the face of this Israeli arrogance,8221; he added.

8220;We in Hamas confirm our response to these declarations that we do not recognise the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation of an inch of the land of Palestine,8221; he said.

The Hamas movement,which rules the Gaza Strip,this month signed a surprise unity agreement with the Fatah party of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Fatah runs the West Bank.

In a keynote policy speech on Thursday,Obama included a clear call for Israel and the Palestinians to use the lines that existed before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war as the basis for talks to resolve the conflict.

Abbas yesterday called on Obama to press Netanyahu to accept a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders,his spokesman said.

But Netanyahu has long opposed such a formulation,and his office issued a blunt statement on Friday saying such a scheme would leave Israel 8220;indefensible8221; and isolate major Israeli settlements in the West Bank.