Region | Palestinian Territories
Fatah rejects Hamas request for bilateral talks
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party has rejected a request by Hamas rivals to meet separately ahead of multi-factional reconciliation talks next month in Cairo, Fatah officials said on Tuesday.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:11 October 15, 2008
Occupied Jerusalem: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party has rejected a request by Hamas rivals to meet separately ahead of multi-factional reconciliation talks next month in Cairo, Fatah officials said on Tuesday.
A senior Fatah official said, "Hamas has tried to change the Egyptian plan by requesting a bilateral meeting with Fatah which excludes the other 11 Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) factions.
"We adhere to the Egyptian plan which calls for a meeting of all the factions," the official said. "We don't object to holding a bilateral meeting with Hamas after the comprehensive meeting taking place."
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Fatah's decision not to hold bilateral talks with the Islamist Hamas was a blow to Egypt's efforts to broker a unity deal between the rival groups.
Abu Zuhri said, "Fatah bears responsibility for any faltering of Arab efforts to reconcile the Palestinian factions."
Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman has held a series of separate talks with all Palestinian factions to heal the rift between Hamas and the PLO since the Islamists seized Gaza last year.
Abbas has not sanctioned any meeting between his Fatah group and Hamas and has insisted that such meetings would only take place after Hamas cedes control of Gaza, officials said.
Palestinian officials said 12 Palestinian groups, including Fatah, have approved a reconciliation plan drawn up by Egypt.
Related Links
More from Palestinian Territories
More from Region
News Editor's choice
-
Kuwait condemns Houla massacre
Arab League urged to put end to oppression of Syrian people
-
Road crashes main cause of child death in UAE
Death rate among children in car accidents in the UAE is three times higher than global average
-
Last minute ID rush is on
Expatriates in Dubai have thronged typing centres and Emirates ID registration offices to meet the May 31 registration deadline
