Palestinian rivals hail new era of partnership

CAIRO (AFP) ― Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal on Thursday hailed a new era of partnership between their rival movements at talks in Cairo aimed at cementing a stalled unity deal.

But there was little indication of any concrete progress in resolving disputes which have blocked implementation of a reconciliation agreement signed six months ago.

Speaking to reporters after their meeting, the two leaders said they had ironed out their differences and turned a new page in their strained relationship.

“We want to assure our people and the Arab and Islamic world that we have turned a major new and real page in partnership on everything to do with the Palestinian nation,” Meshaal said.

“There are no more differences between us now,” added Abbas, who heads the Fatah movement. “We have agreed to work as partners with joint responsibility.”

The leaders spoke after two hours of face-to-face talks in Cairo, the first since they inked the reconciliation deal in May.

In the meeting, Abbas and Meshaal approved a two-page document reiterating their commitment to the main elements of the original deal, saying they would establish a joint government after elections to be held in May.

They pledged to resolve the issue of political prisoners held by each side “within days” and said they would put together a temporary cabinet of independents, to be agreed upon next month.

“There will be a meeting in Cairo on Dec. 20 of the PLO leadership and that of all the Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to restructure the leadership and the various bodies of the PLO,” Damascus-based Hamas leader Izzat al-Rishq said.

Two days later, the 13 factions which signed the May agreement would meet “to form a new government which will organize the elections,” he said.

Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmed said the talks had focused on terms of the unity agreement and on how it should be implemented, and said the leaders also discussed “the question of a truce in the West Bank and Gaza with Israel, and the question of popular resistance.”

“We confirm the truce in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” Rishq said at a joint press conference with Ahmed.

“All peoples have the right to struggle against occupation in every way, by force of arms or otherwise, but for now we want to cooperate with popular resistance,” Meshaal said in an interview on Thursday evening.