Palestinian peace talks to go on: Yemeni-brokered talks on reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah are still alive. Earlier Thursday, Fatah negotiators said they were returning to the West Bank without a deal, aides to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said.
However, Fatah representatives later changed their mind and decided to stay in Yemen and continue the talks.
The main point of contention appeared to be Fatah's demand, included in the Yemeni proposal, for Hamas to give up control of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, Fatah agree to initiative calling for new Palestinian elections; 'dispute isn't between Fatah and Hamas, it's between action factions and Hamas,' says Abbas aide
"The matter has ended in failure because Hamas refused to accept the Yemeni initiative as is," said Abbas aide Yasser Abed Rabbo earlier. "Our delegation will come back home tomorrow but it is ready to head back to Yemen once Hamas accepts the initiative as is."
The Yemeni proposal calls for the situation in the Gaza Strip to return to the way it was before the Hamas takeover and for Palestinian elections to be held, conditions endorsed by Abbas and so far rejected by Hamas.
'Hamas holds Fatah responsible'
The plan also envisages creation of another unity government and rebuilding of Palestinian security forces along national rather than factional lines. Another Abbas aide, Nabil Abu Rdainah, said Hamas had added "conditions and reservations" to the Yemeni plan.
Fatah has said it would agree to direct reconciliation talks with Hamas only if Hamas first consented to relinquish its hold on the Gaza Strip. Hamas voiced surprise at the decision to bring the Fatah negotiators home.
"Hamas holds Fatah responsible for the failure of the meetings in Yemen," Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said in Gaza earlier Thursday, before Fatah changed its mind. "The withdrawal of Fatah's delegation contradicted what happened in Yemen so far."
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