Intensified Efforts for Hamas-Fateh Dialog and Reconciliation in Senegal and Arab states

Palestinian Prime Minister of Hamas makes contacts for a unity deal

Sunday June 08, 2008 01:35 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniya of Hamas, made on Saturday contacts with several Arab leaders in the region over conciliation between the ruling Hamas party in Gaza and the ruling Fatah party in the West Bank.

In a statement, delivered to press by the Gaza-based cabinet, PM Haniya, phoned late on Saturday the Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud Al-Faisal, over possible successful dialogue between the rival Hamas and Fatah parties.

Premier Haniya also called up the Syrian, the Yemeni and the Algerian presidents as well as the Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, within consultations to bring the rival parties back together around the dialogue table.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah said in a televised speech last week that Hamas and Fatah should return to dialogue based on the Yemeni conciliation proposal, drafted on March.

The democratically-elected Hamas party wrestled control over the coastal territory in June of last year, amidst fighting with the secular Fatah party of Abbas. Since then, Abbas has been demanding Hamas to give up control on Gaza, but Hamas still rejects.

In a phone call with Abbas, the U.S Secretary of States, Condoleezza Rice, whose country has sidelined Hamas since March2006, asked for clarifications about his recent call for dialogue with Hamas.

Rice is due to arrive in the region this week, in a bid to push forward stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, in light of Israel's intransigence with regard to settlement activities on occupied Palestinian lands.

Hamas and Fatah hold talks in Senegal, agree to further meetings

Date: 08 / 06 / 2008 Time: 14:08
Dakar – Ma'an –

Representatives of the rival Hamas and Fatah movements completed three days of talks in Dakar, the capital of Senegal on Sunday. The talks were backed by Senegalese President Abdullah Wad (Abdoulaye Wade).

Wade reportedly met separately with each movement's delegation, discussing the internecine conflict that has paralyzed Palestinian politics for nearly a year.

A Hamas-affiliated website, the "Palestinian Information Center," reported that the Hamas and Fatah officials signed an agreement to hold further meetings. Palestinian Legislative Council Member Hikmat Hashim signed on behalf of Fatah, and

Hamas-affiliated electronic website "the Palestinian Information Center" wrote that both delegations agreed that further meetings should be held and they signed a statement to continue with consultations. Hikmat Hashim signed the statement on behalf of Fatah, and movement leader Imad Al-'Alami signed on behalf of Hamas.

Senegal's foreign minister, who attended the meeting, also signed the document.

Hamas' delegation to Senegal talks included Al-'Alami and exiled Hamas leader Muhammad Nasr, while Fatah's delegation included Hashim and the Palestinian ambassador to Senegal.

Osama Hamdan, the Hamas representative in Lebanon, told the Palestinian Information Center that he viewed the Dakar talks as a "practical test" of the seriousness of a call by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to reinitiate dialogue between Hamas and Fatah.

Abbas, a leader of Fatah, issued the call for dialogue on Thursday, appearing to soften his demand that Hamas relinquish control of the Gaza Strip before dialogue can resume.

After winning Parliamentary elections in 2006, Hamas routed Fatah's security forces in the Gaza Strip in June 2007, splintering the Palestinian polity into two, with the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority still in control of the West Bank.

Khater: “Hamas-Fateh talks in Dakar are still in early stages”
Sunday June 08, 2008 00:19 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies
Member of the political bureau of Hamas movement, Sami Khater, stated on Saturday that Hamas and Fateh delegates are holding talks in Dakar – Senegal, in an attempt to resolve their differences, but added that these talks are still in early stages.

The Palestine Information Center, a news website run by Hams movement, interviewed Khater who said that a delegation of Hamas movement went on Wednesday to Dakar after being invited by the Senegalese president in an attempt to end the internal conflict between Fateh and Hamas.
Khater stated that the Hamas team includes Emad Al-Alami and Mohammad Nasr, both members of the Hams’ political bureau.

Khater said that Senegal presented a national reconciliation initiative and asked Hamas to dispatch delegates to discuss it. Hamas welcomed the invitation and said that it welcomes any Arab, Islamic or International effort to restore the Palestinian unity.
Khater added that Hamas believes in dialogue without any preconditions, as unconditional talks, according to Khater, are the only means to end the current crisis and internal divisions.

Arab states working to broker Hamas-Fatah deal

Date: 08 / 06 / 2008 Time: 10:29
Qalqilia – Ma'an –

Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are working behind the scenes to broker a compromise between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, and to assemble a new Palestinian unity government, knowledgeable Palestinian sources told the London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

In this regard, Egypt has invited Khaled Mesha'al, the exiled chief of Hamas' politburo to visit Cairo to discuss possible solutions to the current political, economic and security crisis in the Palestinian territories.

According to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Mesha'al is scheduled to arrive in Egypt in the coming days. He will meet with a number of Egyptian officials including the director of Egyptian intelligence 'Umar Sulaiman. Mesha'al and Sulaiman are also expected to discuss the issue of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Two weeks ago, Mesha'al met with Sulaiman in Damascus and discussed the details of a prisoners swap between Israel and Shalit's Palestinian captors.

Syrian President expresses support for Palestinian reconciliation

Date: 07 / 06 / 2008 Time: 18:46
Gaza – Ma’an –

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad added his voice on Saturday to a chorus of Arab support for proposed talks aimed at restoring Palestinian national unity.

In a phone call with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the deposed Palestinian Prime Minister, Assad said that Palestinian unity is a priority of the Arab League.

Separately, Tunisian President Zain Al-Abedeen Bin Ali (in French spelling: Zine Al-Abedine Ben Ali)called President Abbas and expressed support for the Palestinian cause. According to Abbas’ office, the Tunisian leader said he would stand by the Palestinians and their leader, President Abbas.

Abbas asks Mubarak to sponsor indirect reconciliation talks with Hamas

Date: 07 / 06 / 2008 Time: 11:35
Bethlehem – Ma'an –

Press sources reported on Saturday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Friday evening and asked him "to sponsor a comprehensive Palestinian dialogue to achieve reconciliation among the Palestinian factions."

Quoting an unnamed senior Palestinian official, the Al-Hayat daily newspaper published from London stated that "President Abbas is looking for an Arab sponsor to play a central role in the dialogue." The official clarified that Fatah and Hamas will not sit at the same table for negotiations at this stage. Instead the dialogue will be conducted through Arab intermediaries.

The official explained that the Arab mediators will discuss with Hamas how to distance itself from the "coup" in Gaza, as well as playing a main role in rebuilding the security departments on a professional and non-partisan basis. He added that the dialogue will become operational when Hamas shows its readiness to hand over the security departments in the Gaza Strip to the Arab side.

In a separate report, French news agency AFP quoted Sean McCormack, spokesperson for the US State Department, as saying that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had received confirmation from President Abbas on Thursday that "the preconditions for any talks with Hamas have not changed."

Yemeni president backs inter-Palestinian conciliation efforts

[ 08/06/2008 - 09:17 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh on Saturday announced full backing to any effort exerted to bring together and reconcile the Palestinian factions during a telephone contact with PA premier Ismail Haniya.

Saleh said that he would exert all efforts alongside the Arab countries to ensure success of such a meeting and to bring about Palestinian reconciliation.
Haniya had reached the president over the telephone to brief him on latest political developments in the Palestinian arena.
The premier reiterated his appreciation of Saleh's efforts in this regard and his respect to the Sana'a declaration as the basis for inter-Palestinian dialogue.
Haniya also contacted prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, for a similar discussion on internal Palestinian developments and means of ensuring success of any effort to patch up Palestinian differences.
The premier had made a series of contacts with a number of Arab leaders and officials in a bid to rally support for the Palestinian dialogue under Arab auspices.

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