Almanar
14/02/2010 Intensive contacts have been made with Egyptian officials to ensure that all Palestinian factions' comments on the reconciliation document are taken into account, said Yasser Al-Wadiyya, representing independent Palestinian dignitaries, on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, sources told Palestinian Ma'an agency that, following the visits of Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha'ath and secretary-general of the Palestinian Peoples' Party, Bassam As-Salihi to Gaza, a general meeting will be held in the Strip on Sunday including all 13 Palestinian factions which participated in the Cairo talks on ending inter-Palestinian rivalry.
Signing the Egyptian document should be undertaken immediately, Al-Wadiyya said, making it the top priority of the Arab League Summit scheduled to be held in Libya in March. He further called for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, bringing an end to the siege, an end to settlement activity and for the future of the peace process to be named top priorities of the summit.
The meeting will not a new round of talks on reconciliation, but rather will be held to discuss efforts to remove obstacles impeding the ratification of the Egyptian document, sources said.
The document is tipped to end Hamas-Fatah rivalry and could lead to Palestinian general elections, so far stonewalled, being held by June.
Following Sha'ath's visit, senior Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil Al-Haya announced that "there will be changes within the coming days toward achieving conciliation."
At Ismail Haniyyeh's home in the Ash-Shati Refugee Camp, Al-Haya revealed that Sha'ath and the de facto prime minister exchanged documents for review, detailing the means of overcoming recent impasses reached in the ratification of the Egyptian document, tipped to end Fatah-Hamas rivalry and restore national unity.
Sha'ath said he considered the meeting a step toward reviving confidence in both parties, saying, "We did not talk about details but rather what would create the right atmosphere and what would bring our people close to unity."
The Fatah leader himself expressed increased confidence in a unity deal, saying "I am leaving here more optimistic and hopeful, and warmer despite the cold weather," as he left Haniyyeh's home.
However, a report on Al-Jazeera said on Saturday that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas plans to boycott the Arab League summit planned for March 27 if Hamas politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal attends,
According to the report, senior PA officials said they have received information that Libya, which is hosting the summit, is planning a bid to have the two leaders sign a reconciliation agreement. The report said that Abbas is wary of Egypt's response to such a reconciliation effort.
Abbas has notified Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan that he objects to meeting the Hamas chief unless he signs the reconciliation deal mediated by Egypt.
PRC SAYS MOVEMENT EXCLUDED FROM FACTIONAL TALKS
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Resistance Committees (PRC) said it was excluded from the meeting of 13 Palestinian factions in Gaza.
The PRC expressed shock at media reports saying that all active factions were invited to talks when the movement was not asked to attend, a statement read.
While satisfied with goals of the meeting, the PRC said that no faction has the right to define a movement as "active" or not. The movement's statement added that when the future of Palestinians is discussed, the PRC should be asked to join in talks as it forms part of the initial resistance movement, it said.
The PRC called on rivaling movements Fatah and Hamas to reconcile, saying that without national unity, "time is being lost which only serves Israeli interests."
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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