EU won't go soft on Hamas

The Islamic militant group Hamas unveiled its full cabinet list yesterday, as expected putting loyal members in charge of all key ministries including the foreign affairs, interior and finance posts.

Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh gave the names to President Mahmoud Abbas late on Sunday after Hamas failed to persuade rival factions to join, a sign of the success Israel and the United States have had in isolating the group.

The EU is by far the biggest aid donor to the poverty-stricken Palestinian territories and has made future help conditional on the Palestinian cabinet agreeing to recognise Israel, forswear violence and accept previously-reached accords.

"Hamas is at a crossroads now. Hamas will have to decide which road to take, how to take the responsibility that is coming upon it now," said Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, whose country holds the EU presidency.

"Our message has been clear and consistent. It will be clear and consistent also in this situation," Plassnik said as she arrived for a meeting of the 25-member bloc's foreign ministers.

But Hamas, whose senior members have been appointed to key portfolios, has shown little sign that it will agree to any, let alone all, of those conditions, which are also supported by the United States.