Ismail Radwan, a Gaza-based Hamas spokesman, said in a press statement that “national reconciliation is beyond the reach in these days or in the near future due to the American interference, the issue of direct peace talks (with Israel) and the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to send thousands of passports to residents of the Gaza Strip who needed to travel abroad.”
Radwan added that “Hamas is ready to sign a national reconciliation agreement” but stressed that “it is difficult in the current time in light of the imposed facts on ground.”
In late June, a high-ranking Palestinian reconciliation committee dissolved itself after it failed to bridge gaps between the two rival movements.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah decided on early June to send a high ranking delegation from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Fatah’s Central Committee and independent figures to finalize the unity deal with Hamas.
The committee was headed by Palestinian billionaire Munib Al-Masri, who heads the Palestinian National Coalition of independent figures Al-Mustaqbal.
The committee was scheduled to visit the Gaza Strip for talks with Hamas leaders to convince them to sign the Egypt-brokered reconciliation proposal. However, the visit was canceled after Hamas announced that it would not receive the delegation.
Hani Al-Masri, a committee’s member, blamed both Hamas and Fatah for the continued crisis.
He said that Hamas’s reservations over an Egyptian plan to solve the crisis, as well as Fatah’s opposition to changes in the initiative, were the main reason behind the failure of the mediation efforts.
He stressed that despite the decision to dissolve the committee, efforts would continue on several levels to end the crisis. He also called on Palestinians to step up pressure on the rival parties to force them to patch up their differences.
On October 2009, Egypt mediated a dialogue between the two sides to end their feuds and the status of division between the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
Fatah accepted the reconciliation proposal, but Hamas said it has reservations on some articles in the pact, mainly the ones related to security, the reform of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and elections, and it would not sign on it until these reservations are considered.
However, Egypt rejected Hamas request and insisted that Hamas should sign on the pact first and then its reservations would be considered during the implementation of the agreement.
