Russia's diplomatic overtures towards Hamas rhetoric fell at the first hurdle today when the militant group's leader dismissed calls from the Kremlin to soften his stance against Israel.

"The issue of recognition [of Israel] is a decided issue," said Khaled Mashal, the militant organisation's supreme leader, as he arrived in Moscow for the first of three days of talks. "We don’t intend to recognise Israel."

Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, was due to receive the delegation at 1pm today in Moscow. It will be Hamas’s most high-profile foreign visit since its surprise landslide in the Palestinian elections in January.

President Putin's invitiation to Hamas - an attempt to recapture its faded influence in the region - was greeted with anger in Israel, where the group is listed as a terrorist organisation.

Russia countered the complaints by insisting that it would use the opportunity to persuade Hamas to renounce violence and recognise the Jewish state's right to exist. It has not ruled out selling arms to Hamas.

Mr Mashal, who lives in exile in Syria, responded by accusing Israel of blocking the Middle East peace process. He said that Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands would top the agenda.

"No conditions will be put forward during our visit to Moscow," Mr Mashal said. "We will listen to Russia’s position and clarify ours."

Alexander Kalugin, Russia’s special Middle East envoy, said: "We’re not going to put forward demands. We’ll seek to convince them that now is the time to take responsible decisions. If you come to power and form a government, you must understand you are assuming a great responsibility."

A Hamas representative, Osama Hamdan, told ITAR-Tass in Beirut that the movement is grateful for Russia’s political and moral support but, with former donors including the US and EU threatening to withdrawing millions of dollars of financial aid, "it would welcome a discussion of possible economic cooperation too."

"These talks won’t lead anywhere, but ultimately, the Americans may decide to get involved. And if Hamas is going to listen to anyone, it will be to them," he said.

South Africa last night joined the list of countries inviting Hamas leaders for talks, raising Israeli concerns that the international front against the Islamic militants is crumbling.

• Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian teenager and wounded a second person during an early morning raid in the West Bank city of Nablus today.

Palestinian witnesses said Amer Basiouny, 15, was shot when he went up on the roof of his family’s home in the Ein Beit Ilma refugee camp after hearing gunfire.

The Israeli army said troops in the camp shot an armed man and a second person who threw an object, believed to have been a bomb

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