GAZA CITY, 19 June 2006 — Palestinian factions are moving toward agreement on a statehood initiative implicitly recognizing Israel and could reach a deal early this week aimed at ending deadly internecine clashes, officials said yesterday.
If such a deal is clinched, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has indicated he will call off a July 26 referendum on the same initiative which Hamas claimed amounted to an attempt to overthrow the government.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya said that “tangible progress has been made” in the talks on the initiative, while Fatah officials were equally upbeat. “We’ve agreed on almost all of the issues in the prisoners initiative and things are looking very positive,” spokesman Tawfiq Abu Khussa said. “There is an agreement on the document with reservations, but the movement is positive and I expect agreement by the beginning of next week,” said Abdallah Efrengi, a Fatah politburo leader participating in the talks.
