Palestinian delegation
Photo: Reuters
Palestinians backtrack decision to leave Gaza truce talks
After initially saying Palestinian delegations would not attend Gaza truce talks in wake of the targeted killing of Hamas men behind kidnap-murder of three Israeli teens last June, talks to resume as planned.
The Palestinian delegation’s participation in Gaza long-term cease fire reports in Cairo will proceed despite Israel’s killing of two Hamas members overnight, a senior Hamas leader declared Tuesday, after the group said it was ditching the talks.
"After consultations within the Palestinian delegation and brothers in Gaza and abroad it was decided to continue the Cairo meetings," Mohammed al-Zahar told Reuters from the Egyptian capital.
Azzam al-Ahmed (Photo: AFP)
Earlier reported indicated that the delegation had canceled its participation in response to the killing. According to a report by a German news agency, the Israeli delegation arrived to Cairo this morning.
In a joint operation with the IDF and Israeli SWAT teams, Shin Bet operatives located and killed Amar Abu-Eisha and Marwan Kawasmeh early Tuesday morning - two of the suspects involved in the kidnap and murder of Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel, and Eyal Yifrach in June. Hamas confirmed their deaths and praised the two for a lifetime of "sacrifice".
Palestinian sources told Ynet on Tuesday that their bodies were with their families after and that their funerals would be held Tuesday after the afternoon prayers. Tens of Palestinians demonstrated and disrupted order near their homes. Border police forces and the IDF were in the area to disperse the demonstrators.
Izzat al-Risheq, one of Hamas senior officials abroad, slammed their murder saying it was an Israeli attempt to avoid negotiations with Hamas over a long term truce in Gaza.
"We condemn the assassination of Amar Abu-Eisha and Marwan Kawasmeh and view it as an Israeli attempt backtrack from a truce agreement."
Senior Hamas official Salah Bardawil blamed security coordination between Israel and the PA for the killings, Ma'an reported, saying that "this assassination couldn't have succeeded without security coordination in the West Bank." Bardawil urged Palestinians to demonstrate against the killings.
Resumption of Egyptian-brokered negotiations within a month of the ceasefire ending Operation Protection Edge was agreed under the terms of the initial deal. The sides are expected to discuss key issues, including Hamas demands for a seaport and an airport, a prisoner swap, and Israel's insistence on Gaza demilitarization.
They will also try to resolve an internal Palestinian rift, said Azzam al-Ahmed, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, explaining last Tuesday that Abbas wants real authority in Gaza, but Hamas balks at ceding control of its security forces. Hamas seized Gaza from Abbas' Fatah in 2007.
As part of the initial ceasefire, Israel agreed to immediately ease restrictions on the entry of goods, humanitarian aid and construction materials into Gaza, and to expand the fishing zone off Gaza to six nautical miles.
Egypt is also mediating internal Palestinian talks between Hamas and Fatah in hopes of resolving the crisis in the two factions’ fragile reconciliation pact. Discussions took place yesterday following a pay dispute over former workers of the Hamas government in Gaza and the revelation of a Hamas-led plan to initiate a third intifada in the West Bank.
Roi Kais and Reuters contributed to this report
