Mesha'al urges Arab, Muslim Ummah to help Palestinians restore their unity

Editorial Note: The following news reports may be summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology.

[ 21/07/2007 - 02:58 PM ]

DAMASCUS, (PIC)-- Hamas’s supreme political leader Khaled Mesha'al has reiterated his Movement’s call for national dialogue based on the national aspirations of the Palestinian people, urging Arab and Muslim leaders to do their best to help the Palestinians restore their unity.

Mesha'al’s calls came as he met with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is on an official visit to Syria.

A responsible source in Hamas Movement revealed to the PIC that the Mesha'al-Nejad meeting falls in line with Hamas’s efforts to strengthen ties with Arab and Muslim countries, adding that discussions of the two leaders tackled the current political condition in the Palestinian arena and political events witnessed by the region as whole.

Nejad, for his part, reaffirmed his country’s unquestionable support to the Palestinian people, highlighting the importance of restoring national unity among the Palestinian factions, and of respecting the democratic will and legitimacy of the Palestinian people.

During his visit to Damascus, Nejad met with leaders of other Palestinian resistance factions based in Syria, and discussed with them political developments in the PA-run lands.

Abbas and Rafah: In an unrelated matter, Palestinian lawyer Khalil Abu Shammalah, the director of Dhameer (Conscience) foundation for human rights, held PA chief Mahmoud Abbas responsible for the continued closure of the Rafah crossing point, urging him to open the terminal before thousands of beleaguered Palestinian citizens stranded there for nearly two months.

In a statement he issued and a copy of which was obtained by the PIC, Abu Shammalah affirmed, “President Abbas is the president of all Palestinian people and thus, he is responsible for every Palestinian child, woman, elderly, and political organization, and hence, he couldn’t just mortgage those people for political advances”.

He also reminded Abbas that “while he (Abbas) and his associates freely roam the world, Palestinian women and sick people are dying and screaming for help at the terminal”, calling on Abbas not to travel anywhere before he resolves that dilemma.

More than 30 Palestinian citizens had died while waiting at the Egyptian side of the crossing for 50 days.

Hamas had and still is contacting Egyptian officials in a bid to open that Palestinian-Egyptian terminal, but Egypt affirmed it was ready to open it any time if Abbas asked it to do so.

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