Hamas makes last-minute appeal to avert referendum

GAZA, Jun 9 (Reuters) The Hamas-led Palestinian government made a last-minute appeal today to President Mahmoud Abbas to abandon a proposed referendum on statehood that would implicitly recognise Israel.

Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called for Abbas to back down for the sake of Palestinian unity after Israel's killing overnight of Jamal Abu Samhadana, a leader of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) militant group who was also appointed by Hamas to serve as a senior security chief.

An Israeli air strike on a car today killed three Palestinians in Gaza, minutes after PRC gunmen fired rockets into southern Israel in retaliation for Abu Samhadana's death.

Palestinian security sources said they were all civilians.

Abbas is expected to issue a presidential decree tomorrow that will call for holding a referendum on the statehood proposal by July 31 because Hamas has refused to back it.

''Brother president, I appeal to you in the name of Islam ...

to endorse dialogue and not a referendum,'' Haniyeh wrote in a four-page letter to Abbas.

''We must confront the imminent danger and unite in the face of the unjust siege,'' he added, referring to Western and Israeli financial restrictions imposed on Palestinians following Hamas's January election victory.

Haniyeh said the referendum had ''no legal and constitutional basis''.

Instead of going to a vote, Haniyeh said he wanted to continue negotiations based on the statehood proposal, drawn up by prisoners in an Israeli jail, with the goal of forming a unity government.

Top Abbas aide Saeb Erekat brushed aside Haniyeh's appeal.

''This is illogical,'' Erekat said. ''Once there is a dispute, decision makers ask the people about their opinion. We hope that Mr. Haniyeh would not let us go to the referendum and accept the prisoners' initiative.'' The referendum would be the first chance that Palestinians have had to vote directly on whether they favour a two-state solution. Hamas is formally committed to Israel's destruction but has abided by a truce for more than a year.

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