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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Egyptian mediators attempt to patch Hamas-Fatah gaps ahead of talks |
| 2009-08-19 |
| Ma'an -- An Egyptian security delegation met with Hamas and Fatah leaders in the West Bank on Tuesday in hopes of resuscitating Palestinian unity negotiations. The delegation led by General Muhammad Ibrahim is hoping to bridge gaps between the rival groups ahead of talks scheduled to restart on 25 August. After meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, Jordan, the officials crossed into the West Bank, meeting with Ahmad Quriea, the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiating team, and senior Fatah leader Abu Maher Ghneim, who recently returned from exile, at his residence in Ramallah. The delegation then met Hamas lawmakers at Ramallah's Grand Park Hotel. Speaking after the meeting, Qureia said that Fatah would do its best to make the negotiations succeed. He said the main issues still to be resolved are, the makeup and platform of a unity government, reform of the Palestinian security forces, and reform of the electoral process. Regarding Hamas' demand that the PA release political prisoners, Quriea said "During our conference Fatah was positive toward the negotiations, but Hamas prevented Fatah delegates from reaching the conference." He was referring to Hamas' decision to bar Fatah members in Gaza from travelling to Bethlehem for the movement's general congress, which included elections for new leaders. The move was intended to pressure the PA in the West Bank into releasing Hamas members. The Hamas leaders released a statement following their meeting saying that they "discussed the issue of political arrests with the Egyptian delegation." The Egyptian delegation plans to meet with the leaders of other Palestinian factions in the West Bank before travelling to Damascus to meet with Hamas' highest-ranking leadership. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Good luck. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-08-19 04:15 |