Hamas "will remain in the EU list of terrorist organizations" until it "recognizes the state of Israel" and "commits to solving the conflict through peaceful means," the EU's Ambassador to Israel Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal told reporters during a meeting with the press on Monday.

The diplomat walked a fine line between denouncing Hamas while at the same time explaining that the EU "respects" the decision of the Palestinian Authority to allow the militia group to run in the January Palestinian Legislative Council elections.

But Cibrian-Uzal cautioned that having said that, "there is a contradiction between the willingness to participate in the democratic process and the maintenance of armed militia groups. Armed militias have no place in the
Palestinian Authority." ...