AMMAN/GAZA: The Islamic Action Front (IAF), Jordan’s largest political party, yesterday welcomed the reported talks between the Jordanian government and the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group as a “positive step” that would qualify Jordan to act as broker of Palestinian reconciliation.

“The talks represent a positive step which opens a new chapter in ties between the two sides that could pave the ground for new alliances which boost the interests of both the Jordanian and Palestinian peoples,” IAF official spokesman Rhayyel Gharaibeh said in a statement.

He was commenting on two round of talks, which were reportedly held in Amman over the past three weeks between head of Jordan’s General Intelligence Department Gen. Mohammad Dahabi and two of Hamas political bureau members — Mohammad Nazal and Mohammad Nassr.

The meetings heralded Jordan’s first official dealing with Hamas since the government closed down the group’s office in Amman and deported its Jordanian representatives, including the current political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal.

The new dialogue with Hamas enables Jordan to forge “balanced ties” with Palestinian factions and set the stage for playing the role of mediator between Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement, Gharaibeh said.

“Political logic makes it imperative for the Jordanian government to establish relations with an ascending force like Hamas which won the latest Palestinian general elections and curtail its ties with descending groups,” he added.

Hamas broke with Fatah after controlling by force the Gaza Strip in mid-June 2007 and driving out Abbas’ forces from the territory. Jordan so far appeared supportive of Mahmoud Abbas and its Fatah group and refrained from dealing with the Hamas-led Palestinian government that was sacked by Abbas after the Gaza rift.

Welcoming the move, Hamas’ leader in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, said on Friday that the contacts could help reconcile Hamas with Fatah. “These are positive developments and a beginning which we hope will succeed. There are great causes and common interests between us in Palestine and our people in Jordan,” Haniyeh said during Friday prayers at a Gaza mosque.

The Hamas official said Jordan was interested in reviving contacts with the group, but did not give further details. In his sermon, Haniyeh also called on Arab states to speed up efforts to end an Israeli-led blockade on Gaza Strip and to play a role in reconciliation talks with Fatah.

“We appeal to them to take a brave and immediate Arab decision to reopen the Rafah crossing (with Egypt) and lift the unjust siege on Gaza. Siege and closure must not continue,” Haniyeh said.

Haniyeh said Hamas was “looking forward for a national reconciliation on the basis of no loser and no winner ... a unity that would protect the unity of the people and land.”

Meanwhile, Jordanian authorities said that four prisoners convicted of killing Israeli soldiers will be freed. The four were transferred to Jordan from Israel last year to serve 18 months in a Jordan prison. They had been sentenced to life in prison in Israel.

A police statement published in Jordanian newspapers on Friday said the four will be freed Aug. 20 — five months earlier than their original Jordanian prison sentence. Jordanian law allows prisoners to be freed after serving three quarters of their sentences if they exhibit good behavior.

Three of the four were convicted of infiltrating Israel in 1990 and killing an Israeli soldier. The fourth killed an Israeli soldier in a separate incident the same year.