NEW YORK, April 29: Former US president Jimmy Carter has responded to his Israeli and American detractors who opposed his meetings with the Palestinian group Hamas, saying his talks with them had had yielded specific results.

“Through more official consultations with these outlawed leaders, it may yet be possible to revive and expedite the stalemated peace talks between Israel and its neighbours,” Mr Carter said in an opinion piece for The New York Times on Monday.

Mr Carter blasted what he described as the US policy of boycotting and punishing political factions or governments “that refuse to accept United States mandates,” calling it “counterproductive.”

Earlier this month, Mr Carter held two meetings in Damascus with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal, angering both Israel and the United States, who consider the movement a terror group despite its victory in 2006 Palestinian elections. Since then, both American and Israeli officials have tried to downplay the importance of the meetings.

But Mr Carter wrote he had received assurances that Hamas would accept any agreement negotiated by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel “provided it is approved either in a Palestinian referendum or by an elected government.”

Carter said : “When the time comes, Hamas will accept the possibility of forming a non-partisan professional government of technocrats to govern until the next elections can be held.’’

“Hamas will also disband its militia in Gaza if a non-partisan professional security force can be formed.”

Hamas would also permit Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by Palestinian militants in 2006, to send a letter to his parents, Carter added.

If Israel agreed to a list of prisoners to be exchanged, and the first group was released, Corporal Shalit would be sent to Egypt, pending the final releases, Carter said.

He said Hamas would also accept a mutual ceasefire in Gaza, with the expectation that this would later include the W. Bank.