Hamas is set to recognize the pre-1967 borders as the borders of a future Palestinian state, but will still not recognize Israel, Haaretz revealed on Wednesday.

According to the newspaper, the terrorist organization is formulating a new outline of its policies which will also state that the organization is not a part of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Haaretz cited Hamas sources who spoke to the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper and who said that officials from the organization’s political bureau, including chairman Khaled Mashaal and his deputy Ismail Haniyeh, as well as other officials from the military and political leadership of Hamas, were involved in formulating and amending the document.

Final approval is expected at the end of this month or early next month, when the Hamas internal elections for the political bureau and Shura Council conclude.

The document will reportedly make clear that Hamas is an independent organization not tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. This declaration is expected to help Hamas it in its contacts with the Egyptian authorities who are demanding that Hamas be fully disconnected from the Muslim Brotherhood, which is blacklisted as a terrorist organization in Egypt.

Hamas officials believe that acceptance of the principle of a Palestinian state with the pre-1967 borders will help it break the boycott from foreign countries and international organizations, according to Haaretz.

Sources in Hamas quoted in the report said that the document will define the fight against Israel as a fight against the “occupation” and not against Jews, whereas the organization’s platform passed 29 years ago defined Hamas as an extension of the Muslim Brotherhood in “Palestine”, defined the Palestinian issue as a religious issue and said that the struggle was against the Jews.

An official with the political wing of Hamas in Gaza told Haaretz that the document will not present new positions, but will summarize positions and principles that came up over the last few years.

“Anyone who has followed the statements of Khaled Mashaal and the Hamas leaders will not find anything different, but in light of the major changes that have occurred in the region and within the Palestinian arena, Hamas has formulated this document to stand as an ID card for the movement and its principles,” the official told the newspaper.

News of the document comes as Hamas holds its internal elections, in which Haniyeh is widely expected to be elected head of the political bureau in place of Mashaal who is stepping down.

Haniyeh has been working to improve ties with Egypt that have been strained under President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

Cairo has accused Hamas of being involved in terrorist attacks in the Sinai, most of which have been carried out by the Sinai Province, which is the Islamic State (ISIS) affiliate in Egypt. Hamas denies the accusations.

Haniyeh recently visited Cairo for talks with Egyptian leaders. Following his visit, a senior Hamas security delegation visited Egypt as well.

It is believed the new document is part of Hamas’s attempts to present an agenda that will help its standing in relation to the international community and Arab countries, chiefly Egypt.

Source: israelnationalnews.com