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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Morsi 'to mediate' talks between Fatah, Hamas leaders |
| 2013-01-09 |
| Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is set to mediate talks in Cairo between the leaders of Fatah and Hamas to help implement a unity pact signed in 2011. Egypt helped broker the deal between Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who heads the Fatah party, and Hamas's Khaled Meshaal. The Islamist movement ousted Fatah from Gaza in 2007 after winning Palestinian elections the previous year. Observers say tensions appear to have eased in recent months. On Wednesday Mr Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority (PA), and Mr Meshaal will first "meet Egypt's intelligence chief before holding a three-way meeting with President Morsi," Egyptian spokesman Yasser Ali told the AFP news agency. The reconciliation accord signed two years ago was meant to pave the way for a joint interim government and joint elections in 2012 but negotiations stalled. Last October, Hamas boycotted local elections held in the West Bank, the first Palestinian polls in more than six years. |
| Posted by:tipper |