Hamas: â€œThere is no Egyptian initiative for national dialogueâ€

Wednesday August 20, 2008 05:12

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, denied the existence of any Egyptian initiative to pave the way for a new round of internal Palestinian dialogue, and added that Egypt also presented some questions that required answers from the factions, but there was no official invitation for talks.

Hamas legislator, Ismail Al Ashqar, told the Palestine News Network (PNN) on Tuesday afternoon that there was no invitation for talks, and added that the internal dialogue should be open “without any veto or objections”.

He added that the dialogue should include talks on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, should also focus particularly on the differences between Fateh and Hamas, and should include other factions.

Ayman Taha, another Hamas leader, reiterated Hamas’ position which rejects the deployment of Arab or foreign forces in the Gaza Strip. He said that any deployment of forces other than the Palestinian security forces is unacceptable.

Taha added that the demand to deploy Arab forces in Gaza shows lack of seriousness by the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, to hold talks with Hamas.

“The deployment of these forces may increase the internal divisions and will increase the separation between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank”, he said, “internal reconciliation is built by an internal Palestinian will, and not by deploying Arab forces in Gaza”.

In related news, the dissolved government in Gaza, headed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyya, held a meeting on Tuesday and called on Egypt to ease the siege on the Gaza Strip and to open the Rafah border terminal, especially for the patients, pilgrims and for urgent cases.

The government stressed that it has a strong, stable and strategic relation with Egypt. It also discussed other issues such as the “Shelf Agreement” which was presented by the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, and the efforts to resume the internal Palestinian talks in addition to other internal issues.