Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations    

    GAZA, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement's spokesman in Gaza Sami Abu Zuhri, said on Thursday that Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is not the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people before it has been rebuilt.

    "We consider all the institutions of the Palestinian Liberation Organization as illegal ones unless it is committed to Cairo and Mecca agreements which clearly say the PLO has to be rebuilt," Abu Zuhri said in a statement.

    PLO and Hamas representatives are in Yemen holding separate talks with Yemeni officials on a Yemeni initiative of reconciliation between Hamas and rival Fatah movement.

    In March 2005, Hamas and Fatah reached an agreement of reconciliation in Cairo. Both had also agreed in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in February last year a power-sharing deal to end infighting and form a national unity government.

    The two agreements between the two movements collapsed after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in mid June last year and ousted President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces from the enclave.

    Abu Zuhri reiterated the fact that the PLO has to be reactivated "according to Cairo and Mecca agreements before considering the organization a sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people."

    Meanwhile, Abu Zuhri slammed U.S. Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain for his statements, which recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel.

    "McCain's statements don't only represent his personal views, but also represent a continuation of the biased American strategy toward the Israeli occupation on the expense of the Palestinian interests," said Abu Zuhri.