The Islamist Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, on Wednesday urged Barack Obama to learn from the `mistakes` of previous US administrations in dealing with the Muslim and Arab worlds.

`He must learn from the mistakes of the previous administrations, including that of Bush which has destroyed Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine,` said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum.

`He must improve US ties with the rest of the world rather than wave the big American stick,` Barhum told AFP.

`We want him to support the Palestinian cause or at least not to be biased towards the Israeli occupation,` he said.

`We have no problem establishing normal relations with the United States to explain our just cause,` he said. The United States, like the European Union and Israel, considers Hamas a terrorist organisation.

Sami Abu Zuhri, another Hamas spokesman, said Obama`s agenda on the Palestinian question was no different than that of his electoral rival, Republican John McCain.

`We ask Obama to reconsider US foreign policy concerning the Palestinian case. We will judge him by what he does and what he says,` the spokesman said.

During a visit to Israel in July, Obama expressed support for Israel`s refusal to negotiate directly with Hamas, which seized power in Gaza in June 2007, ousting forces loyal to secular Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.