RAMALLAH: A senior Fatah official on Saturday urged the rival Hamas movement to sign an Egyptian-drafted proposal for national reconciliation.
Nabil Shaath, member of Fatah’s Central Committee, said in a press statement that “Hamas’ reservation on the Egyptian paper has blocked the national reconciliation.”
In October, Egypt presented a draft reconciliation pact to the Palestinian factions, including rival Hamas and Fatah movements. After a few days, Fatah announced that it had accepted the deal.
The 25-page proposal calls for its signing by all factions by Oct. 25, then its immediate implementation by deploying a 3,000-men security force in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and the forming of a joint factional body to coordinate between the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
The proposal, which was formed in coordination with all factions also called for the holding of the general elections for presidential, legislative and Palestinian National Council (PNC) (the Palestinian Parliament in exile) in the Palestinian territories and abroad on June 2010.
However, Hamas raised reservations on the Egyptian offer to restore political unity to Gaza and the West Bank.
Egypt, which hosted five rounds of Palestinian national dialogue, rejected Hamas demands and said that signing on the pact should be first, and observations, reservations and notes would be added after the signing in a special appendix.
Sha’ath said that “if Hamas is serious and wants to sign the reconciliation, the agreement is in Cairo and Hamas leaders must go there to sign the agreement.”
He highlighted that Fatah had accepted the Egyptian offer since it was presented to feuding Palestinian movements in October.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said last Sunday that he won’t meet exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal unless his movement signs the Egyptian proposal for Palestinian reconciliation.
“We are now waiting the time when Hamas would like to sign the Egyptian document,” Abbas said. “Once Hamas signs, there will be a meeting with them (Hamas) after one hour or half an hour or a quarter of an hour.”
Meshaal said on Friday that reconciliation with Abbas was needed to strengthen the Palestinian cause but he made no new proposals on how to do so after Egyptian efforts to bring about agreement between the two sides broke down.
The development came two days before the Hamas-dominated Palestine Legislative Council (PLC) ends its legal term. In Jan. 25 2006, Fatah lost the elections to the Hamas movement. The next year, Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces, seized Gaza and ousted Fatah.
The Palestinian Parliament has failed to gather Hamas and Fatah lawmakers under its umbrella since June 2007 when Hamas took over the Gaza Strip.
Faisal Abu Shahlah, a Gaza-based MP of the Fatah movement, said that the PLC would lose its legitimacy after Jan. 25.
He added that any attempt by the Hamas movement to extend the PLC term would be considered illegal.
