Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Palestinian Reconciliation Agreement to be Signed on 28 July | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat- An authoritative Egyptian source has asserted that the secretaries general of the various Palestinian organizations will sign a Palestinian reconciliation agreement on 28 July in Cairo immediately after the next Palestinian dialogue round which will be held in Cairo on 25 July and last three days.

The source added that the intensive three-day meetings between the Fatah and Hamas movements which ended in Cairo yesterday under Egyptian sponsorship discussed all the pending issues since the previous rounds and also the problem of the detainees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It said these intensive Fatah-Hamas talks reached agreement on the following issues:

1. To form a joint security force in the Gaza Strip that starts its work immediately after the signing of the reconciliation agreement.

2. To form a joint committee from all the factions to coordinate and supervise the implementation of the reconciliation agreement. The committee has specific tasks and starts its work following the signing of the agreement and ends it immediately after holding the presidential and legislative elections.

3. To define general principles for solving the problem of the detainees from the Fatah and Hamas movements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip so as to help prepare the atmospheres for achieving the reconciliation and accord.

The authoritative source went on to say that in light of the fact that total agreement over the contentious issues needs more time, it was decided to extend the dialogue another period of time in order to continue consultations about some remaining details. It added that in order to keep the momentum, action in the coming stage will be as follows:

First: The committees stemming from the dialogue to be invited to Cairo during the coming days so as to draft the agreements reached during these committees’ work.

Second: Egypt to continue its consultations with all the Palestinian factions and forces during the coming period.

Third: The reconciliation committees that started in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on 14 June under Egyptian sponsorship to continue their work in order to draw up practical solutions for ending the detainees’ issue.

Fourth: Setting the date of 25 July for the resumption of the dialogue in Cairo after which the Palestinian organizations’ secretaries general will be invited to sign the reconciliation agreement on 28 July.

The authoritative source stressed that out of the Egyptian political leadership’s concern to end the Palestinian division, the exerted Egyptian efforts would continue until the reconciliation agreement is signed in support of the Palestinian people and their just cause. It asserted that Egypt is confident that the responsibility on the Palestinian organizations’ shoulders will in the end require them to end the division and restore the homeland’s unity.