Haniyya of Hamas welcomes Abbas’ calls for national dialogue

Friday June 06, 2008 01:17 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Senior Hamas official, Prime Minister of the dissolved government in Gaza, Ismail Haniyya welcomed on Thursday the calls of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas for holding  comprehensive talks with Hamas and all other factions in order to achieve reconciliation.

Ismail Haniyya

In a televised speech on Thursday evening marking the 1967 Israeli capturing of the rest of Palestine, Haniyya said that he issued orders to prepare the atmosphere for dialogue, and called for ending all incitement campaigns and for the release of all political detainees, ministers, legislators and mayors imprisoned by Israel.  

He demanded an immediate launch of a comprehensive dialogue based on the Yemini declaration and also based on all signed internal unity agreements including the Mecca Agreement and the National Unity Document.

Haniyya also called on the Arab League to supervise the national dialogue and reconciliation efforts as it did when dealing with the recent Lebanese crisis.

“we welcome all talks,  we welcome an agreement which will be a victory to all Palestinians”, Haniyya stated and called on practicing utmost efforts in order to end the siege on Gaza and to reopen its border terminals.

Moreover, Haniyya added that the US Administration is placing obstacles in front unity efforts and that the current crisis can only be resolved by good will and reconciliation.

He also said that dialogue starts with building trust and then an agenda should be placed in order to discuss all issues.

On Wednesday, President Abbas, the leader of Fateh movement, addressed the Palestinian people and called for a comprehensive dialogue in order to fully implement the Yemeni Initiative in order to end the current divisions.

Since Hamas overtook the Gaza Strip in June 2007, no direct talks were held between Fateh and Hamas movements.

Abbas stated that he repeatedly called for dialogue since the beginning of this crisis and added that the current crisis, although still difficult, could be resolved partially “and with good intensions, will, and no outside pressures, we will achieve a better agreement”.

“We can create a momentum, we can bring joy to every Palestinian house”, Abbas added, “We will end the suffering and start a new era of mutual acts for our people and for the future of the coming generations”.

Referring to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, president Abbas said that “the occupation is bootless, null, and its outcomes are invalid; we are steadfast and determined to achieve our rights”.

“Our rights cannot be nullified, by time or by the power of guns”, Abbas added, “We will remain steadfast until achieving our rights”.

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