Hamas: “Meeting with Fateh Leaders Delayed In Protest To Direct Talks With Israel”

Sunday August 22, 2010 10:57

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, decided to put on hold a scheduled meeting with Fateh leaders in Gaza in protest to the decision of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee and the Fateh movement to resume direct talks with Israel.

The meeting was supposed to be held on Saturday evening in Gaza City. The Hamas movement said that the decision to resume talks with Israel was made by an “unconstitutional committee” and that Fateh might use this meeting to market or pass “its crime of talks with the occupation”.

Dr. Salah al-Bardaweel of Hamas, said that Fateh is providing concessions to the occupation and is violating the national Palestinian consensus that rejects talks with Israel, especially under the current circumstances and ongoing violations.

Dr. Bardaweel added that Hamas had initially agreed to the meeting despite Fateh’s ongoing arrests against Hamas members and supporters in the West Bank, and also accused the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank of obstructing official documents to Gaza residents, such as passports, payments for electricity in Gaza and other essential issues.

He further stated that the decision of Fateh movement to resume talks with Israel came amidst national rejection to this issue, and that this decision made it difficult to hold the meeting between the two movements.

Recently, the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization expressed its support to the American call for resuming unconditional talks with Israel. Several Palestinian factions rejected the resumption of talks especially amidst the ongoing Israeli violations and Israel’s illegal policies against the residents of occupied East Jerusalem.

Updated From
Fateh, Hamas meeting in Gaza postponed
Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:34:32

The Ma'an News Agency reported on Saturday at night that a planned meeting between leaders of the rival Fateh and Hamas movements in Gaza was postponed for undeclared reasons.

The meeting was supposed to be held to discuss efforts aiming at ending internal divisions and achieve national reconciliation.

Salah Abu Khatla, a leader with the Fateh movement, stated that the Fateh delegate includes member of the Central Committee , Sakhr Bseiso, Dr. Zakariyya al-Aagha, the president’s advisor for International Affairs, Abdullah al-Efranji, and Salah Abu Khatla.

Ma'an said that the idea of the meeting came during a visit conducted by Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyya, to the Mourning home of Amin al-Hindi, the founder of the Palestinian General Intelligence.

No date was set for the meeting after it was delayed.