Hamas, Fatah fail to make headway

GAZA CITY: Rival Palestinian factions have so far failed to overcome obstacles in reconciliation talks which they hope will lead to a unified governing body for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, officials said yesterday.

President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah has insisted during Egyptian-hosted talks taking place in Cairo that Hamas must “abide� by existing peace agreements signed with Israel, but Hamas has refused to make such a commitment.

Hamas proposed using the word “respect� instead of “abide� but this falls short of satisfying the conditions set by the United States, Israel and Western countries. The agreements and commitments with Israel were signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), now headed by Abbas.

Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman met Fatah and Hamas leaders on Thursday to try to narrow differences, and as a result the talks resumed yesterday, officials said.

Ashraf Goma, a Fatah delegate, said: “We need to make all efforts to succeed because failure would be a disaster.�

Abbas, talking to reporters in Ramallah, said negotiations had encountered difficulties. “It requires effort and genuine will in order to reach national reconciliation. We don’t want to talk about obstacles. We hope the talks will succeed,� Abbas said.

Hamas delegate Fawzi Barhoum said: “We have not yet agreed on the agenda of the new government and there are obstacles that need to be removed to reach a balanced formula.�

Fatah and Hamas formed a short-lived unity government in 2007, with a platform saying it would “respect� the PLO’s previous commitments. But it was not enough to bring an end to the international embargo on the coastal territory.

Hamas has said it could accept a Palestinian state in lands Israel captured in a 1967 Middle East war, but it has refused to give Israel formal recognition.

“An internal agreement does not require the recognition of Israel or dealing with foreign conditions,� said Taher Al-Nunu, a spokesman for Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has insisted on a right to all of Palestine, including what is now Israel, but has said it could commit to a long-term truce lasting 15 to 20 years.