Significant progress in PA talks

Dr. Abed al-Aziz Duaik, chairman of the Palestinian Legislative Council, said Saturday afternoon that there is a good chance that the Palestinian factions and organizations will sign the prisoners' document within two days as a Palestinian unity document. The document calls for the establishment of a Palestinian State within the 1967 borders.

Duaik spoke during a women's conference in the West Bank town of Qalqilya, saying that "the Palestinian factions are closer than ever to an understanding and there is a good chance that an agreement over the document will be reached in the coming days."

Associates of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have also said that there has been progress in the past few days in spite of remaining differences. Abbas' aides defined the remaining dispute as more technical and less fundamental.

Sources involved in the negotiations said that a positive talk between Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and PA President Abbas contributed to the progress. The talk testified to the two officials' desire to prevent further deterioration and tensions between Fatah and Hamas.

In the past few days, the Egyptians have been pressuring the Hamas leadership abroad in a bid to recruit the leaders in order for the dialogue to succeed. Over the weekend, the Palestinians reported chances to adopt the document which would lead to cancelling the referendum which threatened to inflame tensions on the Palestinian street and worsen the violence.

Ynet has learned that progress was reached over the issue of Hamas joining the PLO and the issue of establishing a national unity government in which Hamas will remain the leading movement, but will be joined by other factions including Fatah.

The document of understandings between the parties is expected to state that the Palestinian rights will not be impaired in any negotiations, i.e. a Palestinian state which will be established within the '67 borders and a solution to the refugee problem according to the United Nations' decisions.

Abbas pressures Mubarak

As part of the understandings, members of the Palestinian government's newly established security force will be integrated into the Palestinian police. However, both Fatah and Hamas officials warned against last-minute developments which may bring the talks to an end.

It is unclear whether all of Fatah's senior members would support the understandings with Hamas, as many of the movement senior officials prefer to stay in the opposition in a bid to reorganize its ranks and complete the sixth general assembly, in which Fatah's institutions will be elected.

Talking to Ynet, a senior movement official expressed his fear that talks on Fatah joining the government and dealing with governmental issues would once again postpone the internal disputes and the need to elect a new leadership, a move which may divide and weaken Fatah.

Abbas met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday afternoon and briefed him on the talks between the organizations. The two officials also discussed the economic crisis in the Palestinian Authority, and Abbas pressured Mubarak to try and convince the Quartet to accelerate fund transfers to the PA.