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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaking during a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday. (Reuters)
Last update - 23:09 04/06/2008
Abbas drops demand for Hamas to relinquish Gaza before talks
By The Associated Press
Tags: Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas, Fatah 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday called for the first time for renewed dialogue with Hamas without demanding the militant Islamic group first relinquish control of Gaza.

Hamas overran Gaza a year ago and expelled forces loyal to Abbas.

Referring to the latest attempt to bridge the rift, he called for "national dialogue to implement the Yemeni initiative in all its elements, to end the internal division that harms our people, (our] cause," Abbas made the comments in a broadcast speech to his people on Wednesday evening.
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In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu welcomed the call for talks.

"We welcome this call by the President Abbas to launch a national dialogue, and we consider it a positive step," he said.

Abbas said if the talks succeed, I will call for new legislative and presidential elections. Abbas won an election to succeed Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004, but Hamas swept his Fatah Part out of power in a 2006 election.

Abbas' speech came a year after Hamas seized control of Gaza by force, ousting his security forces. In response, Abbas fired the Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, and appointed a government of moderates in the West Bank.

Since then, Hamas has become increasingly entrenched in Gaza, despite a sweeping international boycott that kept Gaza's borders virtually closed and drove the territory's 1.4 million residents deeper into poverty.

Over the past year there have been several efforts, notably by Egypt, to repair the rift between the two rivals, but to no avail.

For the past year, Abbas had insisted he would only talk to Hamas once it steps aside in Gaza. However, it appears he changed his mind for two reasons - his peace talks with Israel are stalled and it becomes increasingly unlikely he'll get a deal by the end of the year, as the international community had hoped.

It has also become increasingly clear that no deal could be implemented as long as Gaza remains under Hamas control.

At the same time, Abbas is risking a loss of international support by his sudden decision to talk to Hamas again. Hamas has persistently rejected calls by Israel and the West to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept previous peace deals.

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      1.   Israel gives Abbas no choice 21:46  |  Mark B. 04/06/08
      2.   Hamas resilience is paying off 21:58  |  Khaled 04/06/08
      3.   The side of Israel that Palestinians refuse to acknowledge 22:24  |  Yonatan 04/06/08
      4.   khaled,how has it paid off,LOL,only a moron would think like that 22:25  |  terrornator 04/06/08
      5.   mark b,if the pals are like all other humans,why do all the other 22:27  |  terrornator? 04/06/08
      6.   mark b,if the pals are like all other humans,why do all the other 22:28  |  terrornator 04/06/08
      7.   Abbas will be labeled terrorist..if he refuses to be a YES man. 22:42  |  John 04/06/08
      8.   Mark B. - Abbas`s loyalty is to terror against Israel, not peace 22:47  |  aaa 04/06/08
      9.   Abbas is playing the victim, again. Bad move. 23:22  |  Stephen. 04/06/08
      10.   Mark B. 23:46  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 04/06/08
      11.   This awakening may be too late for Abbas 23:47  |  Tosefta 04/06/08
      12.   Khaled: read true history books not propaganda leaflets 00:08  |  Arthur 05/06/08
      13.   patience is what PA doesn`t have 00:12  |  Joey 05/06/08
      14.   Khaled: 2 00:13  |  Arthur 05/06/08
      15.   Arthur..Jewish fighters at Ghetto Warsaw also 00:49  |  Khaled 05/06/08
      16.   Arthur, you are speaking with educated people 00:53  |  Khaled 05/06/08
      17.   abbas 01:48  |  azad 05/06/08
      18.   abbas 01:58  |  azad 05/06/08
      19.   Abbas and olmert 02:06  |  dave duncan 05/06/08
      20.   Jordan is Palestine 02:12  |  steve dill 05/06/08
      21.   Arthur, do you honestly believe what you say? 02:12  |  Mohammed 05/06/08
      22.   Advertisements 02:17  |  Matthew Houston 05/06/08
      23.   Jordan is Palestine 03:10  |  steve dill 05/06/08
      24.   What else can Abbas do? 03:13  |  BBSNews 05/06/08
      25.   #17 Azad. I think you mean... 03:38  |  Maureen Ann 05/06/08
      26.   The leopard does not change his skin 04:29  |  TonyL 05/06/08
      27.   Make Gaza City the capital of the PA... they are running thing! 04:59  |  r 05/06/08
      28.   khaled - PROOF of your CLAIMS??? 05:31  |  CK Tan 05/06/08
      29.   #11 Tofesta - MISSING the forest for the TREES?? 06:30  |  CK Tan 05/06/08
      30.   #16 khaled - PROOF of your CLAIMS??? 06:36  |  CK Tan 05/06/08
      31.   Mohammed: yes I believe what I say 10:56  |  Arthur 05/06/08
      32.   Two honest partners needed . 11:01  |  Akram Zekaria 05/06/08
      33.   Khaled: Hebrews did not appear out of thin air in warsaw! 12:38  |  Arthur 05/06/08
      34.   Khaled : in Warsaw they didn`t hide among civilians 13:17  |  Arthur 05/06/08
      35.   Arthur on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 20:00  |  BBSNews 05/06/08
      36.   Arthur on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising - 2nd try 03:29  |  BBSNews 06/06/08
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