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|  | Hainyeh, awaiting his return Photo: AP
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| | | | Abbas to give speech Photo: Reuters
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| | | | Sharm Summit, 2005 Photo: GPO
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Abbas: Israel to implement Sharm agreements in return for calm
Abbas tells Palestinian factions he reached agreement with Israel according to which ceasefire to expand to West Bank, IDF to retreat from West Bank cities, remove barriers, discuss prisoners
Ali Waked
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas notified Palestinian parties that following an agreement reached with Israel regarding the Gaza Strip ceasefire, it was decided that the truce would be expanded to include the West Bank as well.
This expansion should lead to the implementation of the agreements reached by Abbas and Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the Sharm al-Sheikh summit of February, 2005.
| No Unity |
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| Abbas, Haniyeh fail to reach agreement on unity / Ali Waked |
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Palestinian president, prime minister meet Friday evening to try and solve unity government issue. Parties still don’t see eye to eye on distribution of portfolios, recognition of Israel |
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This report was published in the London-based Arabic language newspaper al-Hayat.
According to the report, agreements include the Israel Defense Force's retreat from five West Bank cities, returning the Nativity Church's exiled from the Gaza Strip and Europe to the Bethlehem area, solving the issue of the wanted activists, removing barriers in the West Bank and the reconvening of a committee to discus the criterion for releasing prisoners.
The newspaper reported that despite the PLO Executive Committee's decision that the general and presidential elections in the Authority be held earlier, Abbas is still leaving room for the possibility of a renewed dialogue with Hamas regarding the forming of a unity government.
Palestinian sources told Ynet Sunday morning that Abbas asked Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh who is currently visiting several countries in the West and Muslim world, to cut his visit short and return to the Authority.
President Abbas is scheduled to address the Palestinian public in a speech on Thursday, in which he will outline the causes that lead to the dead end in the matter of the unity government. He will also speak of his intentions to advance the elections.
Nonetheless, Abbas prefers to meet with Haniyeh before giving this speech, in order to discuss the chances of forming a unity government one last time.
Sources revealed that Abbas asked Haniyeh to meet with him as early as Monday, in order to determine Haniyeh's stand on the content of Abbas' speech and the decision of advancing the elections.
In the meantime, Hamas does not seem to be moved by the PLO Executive Committee's recommendation to advance the elections. Hamas sources said the committee itself is not legal, and therefore its decisions are not binding.
There is fear in the Authority that if Abbas announces that the elections will be held earlier, this will worsen the situation with Hamas, who have rejected this proposal.
Hamas sources said that if the committee is interested in advancing the elections in order to solve the conflict between the Palestinian presidency and the government, the committee should schedule presidential elections alone, since it has not even been year since the Hamas government was elected.
Hamas made it clear that they certainly intend to run for presidency.
In the Palestinian Authority they are looking forward to Haniyeh's return, and in the meantime time Palestinian security personnel's strike is expected to continue. The strike is in protest of not receiving their salaries.
On Saturday, two demonstrators were injured after security personnel attempted to break into the Palestinian Legislation Council's building. Officials in the Authority are weary that these demonstrations may intensify with the worsening of the political crisis and Abbas' coming speech.
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