GAZA — The leader of the Hamas government in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, said Wednesday for the first time that any resolution of the Palestinian dispute with Israel should be put to a referendum of all Palestinians around the world, and that if one were held, Hamas would accept the results no matter what they were.

In the past, when President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority discussed holding such a referendum, Hamas had been critical, saying that principles like the return of refugees and the borders of the state could not be subject to a vote.

But on Wednesday, Mr. Haniya, speaking in a relatively rare meeting with reporters from foreign news organizations at his office in Gaza City, said, “We will accept the outcome of any referendum even if it contradicts our policies and convictions.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/world/mi...