A senior Egyptian source told Ynet on Sunday that there were no chances for a reconciliation agreement between Fatah
and Hamas.
He mentioned that both sides were entrenched in their positions, which prevented any progress in the negotiations.
| Deadline Over |
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| Abbas talks Palestinian unity with Assad / Reuters |
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Egypt has set July 7 as a deadline to find a solution for divisions between Fatah and Hamas |
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However, according to the Egyptian source, the mediators came against hardheadedness on the part of both sides, especially the Fatah representatives. The latter are intended to take part in a Fatah convention on August 4th, and they fear attending it and presenting a controversial agreement.
The Egyptian source claimed that the mediators showed great flexibility in the formulas they offered the Palestinians.
"As part of the idea to establish a national unity government, we proposed the possibility of sustaining the status quo in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, along with creating a joint management team for the process of rebuilding Gaza.
All of this, until the new elections. However, to our surprise the proposition was rejected", stated the source.
He further added that Egypt was mainly disappointed with Fatah's behavior since it was their internal politics which hindered the last effort to strike an agreement. He estimated that the current situation will carry on and believes there is no foreseeable solution. Furthermore he added that the chances for new elections in January 2010 are low.
Along with the Egyptian source's claims, it appears that Hamas too is raising difficulties in the negotiations.
Last Wednesday, Ynet was informed that Hamas was interested in making a new demand within
negotiations: Prolonging the parliament's term. Hamas, which holds a majority in the assembly, thinks the step should be allowed, in light of the fact that Hamas has virtually not managed to act on its power in parliament, since the elections three years ago.
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