"Yes, we accept an independent state in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel during the 1967 Middle East War," Ghazi Hamad told reporters.

"This attitude is not new and it is declared in the government's platform," he said.

The Dubai-based al-Arabiya TV channel reported earlier in the day that the Hamas-led government okayed a Palestinian state according to the 1967 borders.

The stance contradicts the strategy of the Hamas movement, which calls for an independent state in "historical Palestine after destructing the Jewish state."

The international quartet -- the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia, on Tuesday urged Hamas to renounce violence and recognize Israel's existence, saying that in this way, aid could be directed to the Palestinian National Authority.