Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke this evening, with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and told him that Israel upholds the following three principles:
1) Hamas and the other terrorist organizations must disarm;
2) The Hamas Covenant, which calls for the
destruction of Israel, must be annulled; and
3) All the agreements which have been signed, and all the commitments which have been entered into, by the Palestinian Authority must be accepted.

Acting Prime Minister Olmert said that the position of the international community on this issue is very important and added that it must be advanced at the international forums and meetings that will be held next week.

UN Secy.-Gen. Annan said that the Quartet has issued a statement to the effect that Hamas must do the right thing, dismantle its terrorist ability and disavow the Hamas Covenant.

The two men agreed to be in contact and to closely monitor developments.