Obama Team Denies Report That He Seeks Talks With Hamas

Barack Obama's transition team on Friday denied a report in a British newspaper that the president-elect wants to open secret talks with Hamas.

The Guardian, citing transition team sources, reported that Obama's advisers are urging him to use U.S. intelligence agencies to "initiate low-level or clandestine" communications with the militant Islamic organization battling Israeli forces in Gaza.

"This is going to be an administration that is committed to negotiating with critical parties on critical issues," a source told the newspaper.

Obama's team denied the report Friday morning, citing the president-elect's past statements that Hamas must be isolated until it renounces terrorism.

"The President-elect has repeatedly stated that he believes that Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel's destruction, and that we should not deal with them until they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and abide by past agreements," transition spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said in a written statement.

"The President-elect's repeated statements are accurate. This unsourced story is not."

Click here to read full story in The Guardian.