Hamas and Fatah began formal reconciliation talks in Cairo Thursday morning amidst the hopes of Arab leaders around the region that a Palestinian Authority unity government would emerge as a result.
Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman told the participants as he opened the conference that officials hoped the meeting would be “the real start of a new period ending the state of division which has gone on too long. The time has come for us to turn the page once and for all.”
The meeting is being held at Suleiman’s headquarters. “Everyone is looking towards you,” he said,” as his speech was broadcast live on Egyptian television, “and are hanging their hopes on you. So do not prolong the disagreement and deepen the division. Unite ranks to fulfill the hopes of all for an independent Palestinian state.”
Delegates from both groups met previously with Suleiman on Wednesday to discuss a mutual release of prisoners and end verbal attacks on each other in the Arab media.
By evening, both had agreed to return each others’ prisoners as a show of good faith. Fatah released 42 Hamas detainees in Judea and Samaria, according to Hamas official Izzat Rashaq. There was no word on whether Hamas had freed any Fatah prisoners in Gaza.
Senior PA official Saeb Erekat, who it was speculated might be taking over from Ahmed Qurei the position of head negotiator with Israel, also was present at the talks in Cairo. Erekat told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that it was hoped an interim unity government would be formed “to shoulder the responsibilities of reconstructing Gaza, opening the passages [between Gaza and Israel] and carrying out the presidential and legislative elections no later than the end of 2009.”
Donor nations who are expected to meet in Cairo next week are not clear about how funds for reconstruction efforts in Gaza will be handled if the PA is unsuccesful in forming a unified entity.
By the same token, the issue of funds being channeled to Hamas -- before the terrorist group has met the conditions set by the Quartet of peacekeeping nations (U.S., Russia, United Nations and European Union) -- also remains a dilemma. Funds to the PA government were frozen when Hamas was elected by PA residents to lead the government in January 2006, due to the fact that the terrorist organization is still committed to Israel’s annihiliation.
The Quartet – and Israel – has refused to negotiate with, or transfer funds to Hamas until it has agreed to recognize Israel’s right to exist, renounce terrorism and uphold agreements negotiated by previous PA governments.
International funding and other assistance to the PA was restored only after a militia war split the PA government into two in June 2007: Hamas seized control of Gaza, ousting Fatah entirely, and Fatah ruled the PA in Judea and Samaria from Ramallah.
PA Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas vowed to continue the PA government without the participation of Hamas, until the terror group met the Quartet’s conditions.