Hamas leaders to convene in Cairo over reconciliation

Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal, Mahmoud al-Zahar and other senior Hamas members are to discuss Palestinian unity gov't as well as Hamas elections

Elior Levy |Published: 04.28.12 , 15:37

Hamas leaders are to convene in Cairo in the coming days for a series of meetings over the intra-Palestinian reconciliation and the Gaza elections.

Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal and several other senior members of the organization have already arrived in the Egyptian capital, and are to be joined by Hamas leaders in Gaza, headed by Mahmoud al-Zahar.

Mashaal has traveled to Cairo after meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and briefing him on the results of the internal elections on the Strip, the hunger strikes launched by Palestinian prisoners in Israel and the future of the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation.

A rift has formed within Hamas over a an agreement signed between Mashaal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Doha earlier this year, asserting that the latter would head a Palestinian interim unity government.

A source in the organization told the newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that the conference will primarily deal with "the issue of reconciliation and how it can be implemented, the Gaza election, the upcoming election in the West Bank and the difficulties Hamas leaders are facing there due to security restrictions."

The Hamas election in the West Bank and abroad is to be held in early May. Mashaal is expected to win, as he did in the movement's election in Gaza, according to leaked results. He reportedly defeated his arch-foe al-Zahar, as well as Ismail Haniyeh.

The source told the London-based newspaper that Mashaal's reported success in Gaza signals the conclusion of the disagreements within the movement.

The Gaza election saw 77 members elected to the Shura Council, as well as 15 others for Hamas' politburo.