Israel ‘won’t enter into talks’ with government including Hamas

Israel warned on Tuesday it would not conduct negotiations with a Palestinian government that includes a role for the militant Hamas group. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said there would be no talks with the Palestinians unless Hamas agrees to a series of conditions it is unlikely to accept, including recognizing Israel and agreeing to disarm. The statement came as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah government is in talks with Hamas over ending a 10-year split. Israel’s statement adds some new conditions, including that Abbas’ government continue a crackdown on Hamas militants in the West Bank, that Hamas sever ties with Iran, and that it return two Israeli civilians believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza as well as the remains of two Israeli soldiers, AP reports.