British PM Blair Declares He's 'Never Disputed Hamas's Legitimacy or Mandate'

During a news conference today in which he discussed a push for a Palestinian unity government, British PM Tony Blair declared that he has "never disputed Hamas's legitimacy or its mandate." Blair said he would spell out to Palestinian leaders during a Middle East trip what support they could expect in exchange for recognising Israel, crucial to restarting peace talks.

"It is important for us to say very clearly 'this is what we will do if you are prepared to accept that any negotiations on two states must be on the basis of mutual respect and mutual recognition'," Blair told a news conference.