Palestinian leaders in Cairo
Photo: AP
Palestinians: Dialogue to encounter many difficulties
While Hamas wishes to discuss all issues on the agenda, Fatah seeks to focus on election date, composition of government. Meanwhile, Egypt threatens to halt mediation efforts
The intra-Palestinian dialogue
in Cairo is facing many difficulties, sources in Hamas
and Fatah
reported Friday.
Sources on both sides are accusing each other of causing the dialogue to fail. Hamas wants the dialogue to bring about an agreement on all the disputed issues, rather than focusing on a date for elections and the composition of a future unity government, as demanded by Fatah.
Both sides told Ynet that the issues which led to a deadlock in the talks in the last round of talks at the beginning of the month are continuing to delay a breakthrough in the reconciliation efforts. These issues include the rebuilding of the Palestinian Liberation Organization institutions, the election method, the government composition and a reform in the security organizations.
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The Egyptians, who are acting as mediators in the dialogue, have offered as a compromise the establishment of a joint Fatah-Hamas committee which will include members of other factions instead of a government which will control the Gaza Strip until a solution is found. Both sides are expected to reject the offer.
Both Fatah and Hamas estimate that the dialogue will fail. Hamas members say that if the current round of talks fails there will be no use to continue the negotiations.
The Egyptians have also warned both sides that if an agreement will not be reached in the coming weeks, Cairo will reconsider its brokerage of the talks and may announce that it is no longer willing to mediate between the two factions.
