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Fatah’s Azzam Al Ahmad Plans Cairo Trip in Hopes of Healing Divide with Hamas | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Kids write their homework in Gaza Strip amid power outage, AFP


Ramallah- Palestinian Authority sources announced that the Ramallah-based Fatah party will look into details with Egyptian officials concerning recent talks with Hamas.

This will be prior to Fatah taking decisions for upcoming steps, the sources said.

“President Mahmoud Abbas will delegate Azzam Al Ahmad to reconciliation efforts with Hamas. He will be sent to Egypt to follow up on recent developments,” they added.

Abbas always welcomes any Egyptian efforts poured into bridging the Fatah-Hamas divide, sources added.

“The president wants to end the division and establish a roadmap for Hamas–what is needed now is for the movement to positively respond to that.”

“Al Ahmad will hold discussions with Egyptian officials on the next steps,” sources added.

Al-Ahmad being sent to review developments was the result of an Egyptian-Palestinian coordination preceding the Hamas delegation arriving in Egypt.

Head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement Ismail Haniyeh had arrived in Cairo on Saturday for his first foreign visit after being elected as head of the movement last May.

Hamas said that Haniyeh arrived heading a delegation composed of senior movement officials to meet with Egyptian officials and discuss many important issues, especially bilateral relations with Egypt and ways to develop them and enhance understanding with Cairo. Other topics of interest to the parties were also addressed.

Before meeting the Haniyeh-led delegation in Cairo, Egyptian officials told the PA that the focus of Hamas talks will be on reconciliation and ending division.

The source described the Egyptian mediatory efforts as “strong and urgent.”

For his part, Al-Ahmad welcomed continuous efforts exerted by Egypt to end the division and establish an agreement that would be conceded by all Palestinian factions, and under the auspices of the Egyptian leadership.

Al Ahmad’s statement came after Hamas announced that it was ready to resolve the Administrative Committee.

The Hamas delegation declared the movement’s readiness to dissolve the administrative committee immediately and enable the national reconciliation government to carry out its tasks and conduct the elections.

More so, the statement said that the head of the Hamas political bureau, Haniyeh, and a number of members of the office at home and abroad, met with the Egyptian intelligence chief, stressing “Hamas’ keenness on the security and stability of the Arab Republic of Egypt and not allowing the use of the Gaza Strip in any way to harm the security of Egypt.”

The statement added, “Hamas is ready to hold dialogue sessions with the Fatah movement in Cairo immediately to conclude an agreement and determine the mechanisms for its implementation.”