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Pro-Abbas Fatah supporters rally in Ramallah on Friday. (AP)
Last update - 23:31 26/01/2008
Abbas: No talks with Hamas despite Gaza border chaos
By News Agencies
Tags: Egypt, Khaled Meshal, Hamas 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday stuck to his tough conditions for resuming contacts with Hamas, despite attempts by Egypt to bring the rivals together to solve the growing chaos on the Gaza-Egypt border.

In a speech Saturday, Abbas denounced the Hamas takeover of Gaza as a crime and said the Islamic militants must reverse these steps if they want to resume talks with him.

On Saturday, an aide to Abbas announced that the Palestinian president would meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Wednesday, to discuss the situation on the Egypt-Gaza border.
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The announcement came as Egypt endured an influx of hundreds of thousands of Gazans through its border with Gaza Strip since Wednesday, when Hamas militants blew up segments of the border wall separating the area from Egypt.

On Friday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak proposed in a newspaper interview that representatives of Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement come to Cairo for talks. Abbas made no mention of that offer, and instead reiterated his plan to have his forces deploy on the Gaza crossings, instead of Hamas.

Hamas accepted Mubarak's offer to host talks, while Abbas' representative in Egypt, Nabil Shaath, told reporters that Fatah has made no decision on the invitation.

Hamas hardliner Sami Abu Zuhri accused Abbas of trying to bypass Hamas. "His statements are a rejection of the Egyptian initiative," Abu Zuhri said of Abbas.

Abbas' position was clear, Shaath said. "Fatah was always ready for dialogue, but what was important was the result of such talks. And a result cannot be achieved unless Hamas announces its readiness to let go of military control of Gaza," he added.

Shaath also said Abbas will head to Egypt after meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday and would talk more here about Mubarak's offer.

Mubarak's offer was made in an apparent effort to raise his country's role as Mideast peace broker and ease the pressure following an influx of Palestinians into Egypt from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

In an interview for Saturday's edition of the Egyptian weekly al-Osboa, Mubarak said he wants peace between the Palestinians.

"I want this language of violence to stop," Mubarak was quoted as saying by the state MENA news agency. "Peace could be achieved on the basis of international resolutions and agreements that demand the establishment of Palestinian state."

Damascus-based Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal said Friday, "I and all the brothers in the Hamas leadership welcome participating and will seek to make the dialogue a success."

Hamas and Fatah broke ranks after fighters loyal to Hamas forcibly seized control of the Gaza Strip from Abbas' ruling Fatah faction last June. The clashes between the two shattered a Saudi-sponsored Mecca deal brokered last February.

Egypt has failed to stem the flow of Gazans into its territory, or manage the chaotic border situation, despite deploying reinforcement. Egypt has long feared the instability in the Hamas-controlled Gaza could spill over into Egypt, and has been distancing itself from Hamas. The last time Hamas and Fatah met for talks in Cairo was in Feb. 2005.

Earlier this month, Hamas Premier Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza called for talks with Egypt and Fatah, to work out a new shared arrangement for Gaza's border crossings. At the time, Haniyeh suggested Hamas would be prepared to cede some control to the Abbas government in the West Bank.

In Syria Friday, radical Palestinian factions called on the two rival Palestinian groups to begin dialogue and end their power struggle. A statement at the end of the three-day National Palestinian Conference of factions opposed to peace with Israel stressed the need for Palestinians to unite in the face of the worsening Gaza situation, which they ascribed to Israel's siege.

Dialogue is the only way to solve inter-Palestinian differences, the groups said.

Related articles:
  • Arab Parliament stages Hamas, Fatah reconciliation bid
  • Saudis welcome Meshal in bid to broker new Hamas-Fatah talks
  • Israel Prison Service separates Hamas and Fatah inmates
  • Rights group: Hamas, Fatah breached int'l law in internecine clashes
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      1.   Khalid Mishal you are a true leader and the Palestinians will 22:44  |  lakshmi 25/01/08
      2.   Fatah uses Israel`s tactic of "give in before we begin to talk" 22:45  |  Jeremy Martin 25/01/08
      3.   2 Jeremy Martin,your posts are nearly always sensible,but I think 23:36  |  lakshmi 25/01/08
      4.   I feel sorry for Egypt 23:50  |  Lynn 25/01/08
      5.   PA Collaborators should go to "Israel!" 00:53  |  Ismail 26/01/08
      6.   Top ten reasons not to talk to Hamas 01:03  |  Aphemia 26/01/08
      7.   Hamas` Strategy 01:22  |  Paulo 26/01/08
      8.   BE READY TO MARCH I MILLION GAZANS TO TEL AVIV 01:40  |  indrajaya 26/01/08
      9.   hey lynn,egypt is getting what it deserves especially since they 02:06  |  terrornator 26/01/08
      10.   # 6 aphemia,and the number one reason not to talk to hamas 02:13  |  terrornator 26/01/08
      11.   another number one reason not to talk to hamas 02:15  |  terrornator 26/01/08
      12.   lakshmi doesnt haaretz see that he is hurting israel 03:38  |  arab 26/01/08
      13.   The Silly Ideas of lakshmi and jeremy 03:48  |  Doc Holliday 26/01/08
      14.   Say Cupcake Lynn 04:01  |  ballistic 26/01/08
      15.   Aphemia, Perhaps the Egyptian Shopkeepers... 04:34  |  Reader 26/01/08
      16.   NATIONAL SECURITY REASON HAARETZ? 05:52  |  indrajaya 26/01/08
      17.   Egyptian State-Controlled paper PRAISED TEL AVIV BOMBING 05:59  |  Linda Rivera 26/01/08
      18.   #14 ballistic and forecasts of terror 09:10  |  v hardman 26/01/08
      19.   Gaza to Egypt and West Bank to Jordan. This appears to be the 09:54  |  Also 26/01/08
      20.   Paulo of Lisbon, have you accepted yet the fact that Israel has 10:22  |  Daniela 26/01/08
      21.   The border is still open 12:21  |  Chris Linthwaite 26/01/08
      22.   Indrajayah 12:22  |  H 26/01/08
      23.   Abbas is showing he is no politician 12:33  |  Chris Linthwaite 26/01/08
      24.   Abbas needs to go away .. 12:52  |  Natallie Durson 26/01/08
      25.   #17 Linda Rivera 12:57  |  Paul Wood 26/01/08
      26.   3/Lakshmi 12:59  |  Jeremy Martin 26/01/08
      27.   10/Terrormaker - 13:04  |  Jeremy Martin 26/01/08
      28.   13 Doc Holliday,the second intifada started with sharon`s 13:25  |  lakshmi 26/01/08
      29.   #1 - he he he - Sweet Dreams Baby - you jest 13:41  |  redmike 26/01/08
      30.   Re Natallie #24...not necessarily.... 13:58  |  Esther 26/01/08
      31.   Here in this corner Fatah, and in the other corner, Hamas 14:04  |  Petra 26/01/08
      32.   Fatah does not represent Palestinians 14:11  |  Ali 26/01/08
      33.   Man with Glass Money sits at the poker table 14:19  |  Clickfool 26/01/08
      34.   If the PA and Hamas join authority over border, will be end 14:27  |  Jo 26/01/08
      35.   12 arab,I see your point,but what I am trying to say is that 14:32  |  lakshmi 26/01/08
      36.   To Chris Linthwaite 14:43  |  Josh 26/01/08
      37.   #36 Josh 15:34  |  H 26/01/08
      38.   Chaos on Gaza 15:46  |  Oren 26/01/08
      39.   all palestenians know abbas dictated by telaviv 15:54  |  sam 26/01/08
      40.   Indrajaya,see post 22 from H and mine 35 to arab! 15:58  |  lakshmi 26/01/08
      41.   26 Jeremy Martin,agreed up to a point,but the US attempt to 16:03  |  lakshmi 26/01/08
      42.   Once again to remind the whole world: Gaza is part of Palestine! 16:05  |  Ben Alofs 26/01/08
      43.   Abbas did not dismantle Hamas...pay a price ! 16:07  |  Elie 26/01/08
      44.   #36 Josh 16:17  |  Chris Linthwaite 26/01/08
      45.   Must Talk to Hamas 16:22  |  George 26/01/08
      46.   ZIONISTS RACISTS WILL BE DEFEATED 16:24  |  JH 26/01/08
      47.   Stamp of approval 16:25  |  Baz Mann 26/01/08
      48.   Palestinaians Going In Circles Fast 16:42  |  Al 26/01/08
      49.   So to keep on extorting Int`l Money , Abbas suposedly 16:45  |  Joseph . E 26/01/08
      50.   lakshmi - i`m a palestian and i chose my words carefully so as to 16:46  |  arab 26/01/08
      51.   32 -- I`m Palestinian and Fatah does represent me 16:50  |  arab 26/01/08
      52.   #42 how did dr ben pass his med exams as he learns nothing at all 16:58  |  v hardman 26/01/08
      53.   42 Ben Alof,greetings! some housekeeping,from the other thread,I 17:08  |  lakshmi 26/01/08
      54.   13Doc Holliday,I`ve already replied to your erroneous facts 17:17  |  lakshmi 26/01/08
      55.   #28; lakshmi the Sharon story was refuted 17:21  |  Doc Holliday 26/01/08
      56.   Lakshmi Post#3 17:40  |  DoubleClick 26/01/08
      57.   Ben Alofs 17:51  |  Benny 26/01/08
      58.   Ben Alofs 17:58  |  Benny 26/01/08
      59.   Constructive Chaos 18:06  |  Moe 26/01/08
      60.   #1 Where is Mishal your "true leader" ? 18:24  |  GPS 26/01/08
      61.   32Ali,46JH,56 Double Click agreed!arab& 56 Doc.Holliday,hey Doc I 18:27  |  lakshmi 26/01/08
      62.   Chris Linthwaite 18:37  |  rich 26/01/08
      63.   #45 George, quite right 18:43  |  Ben Alofs 26/01/08
      64.   Abbas doesnt want his Terros upstaged by Hamas Terros 19:03  |  Alan 26/01/08
      65.   ABBAS/SHMABAS,TAKE CONTROL,BUILD JEWISH GAZA,SEND ARABS TO EGYPT) 19:07  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 26/01/08
      66.   #5 ISMAIL that`s all your Palis dream of 19:11  |  israel 26/01/08
      67.   The latest: Mubarak won´t talk with Hamas! 19:38  |  AliciaYasmeen 26/01/08
      68.   #58 Wales isn`t ruled by HAMAS 19:55  |  Chris Linthwaite 26/01/08
      69.   60 GPS,Hamas leaders are doing their job defending Palestine 20:33  |  lakshmi