Palestine Accepts Egypt Peace Plan
Palestinian
President, Mahmoud Abbas has accepted Egypt's plan for separate
signings of a reconciliation deal with Hamas after the Islamist
group refused to attend a unity ceremony.
Fatah official, Azzam al-Ahmad said that Fatah members agree to
the Egyptian document and will sign it within 48 hours
Under the proposed unity deal, a committee of Palestinian
factions would act as a liaison between the Fatah-dominated
government in the West Bank and Hamas authorities in the Gaza
Strip and a joint Police Force would be formed.
However, Hamas said it still had not decided whether to agree to
the proposal put forward by Egyptian mediators.
Egypt has invited Fatah and Hamas to attend a ceremony, which
will be held from 24 to 26th of October in Cairo. The
two groups are expected to sign the reconciliation pact at the
ceremony.
A senior Fatah leader, Mohammed Dahlan, , said the party would
urge Abbas to hold unilaterally Palestinian Parliamentary and
presidential elections scheduled for January 25 if Hamas fail
to agree to a reconciliation pact.
US Decline Support
Meanwhile, United States Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, has
told Egypt that United State does not support the proposed unity
deal.
Mitchell said certain aspects of the current agreement would
undermine U.S. efforts to re-launch negotiations between Israel
and the Palestinians.
Hamas opposes the talks and has rejected Western calls to
renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept previous interim
Israeli-Palestinian peace deals.
Reuters/Qasim / Ahaziah
