Cairo, July 01: Egypt’s intelligence service kept talks aimed at reconciling rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah from collapsing completely, a Fatah negotiator said Wednesday.
“Egypt saved the Palestinian reconciliation from failing, and (intelligence chief) Omar Suleiman played a vital role in pushing the two sides to reach an agreement,” said Azzam al-Ahmad, the head of the Fatah bloc in the Palestinian Legislative Council, before leaving Cairo for Ramallah.
A sixth round of Egyptian-brokered talks between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction, which controls Palestinian- administered areas of the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, again adjourned without an agreement on Tuesday.
Egypt had imposed a July 7 deadline on the groups either to sign an agreement on a national unity government or accept an Egyptian compromise that would see a joint committee coordinate the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and prepare for elections.
“Suleiman gave the two sides the chance to go back and consult their leaders and come back for the seventh round of talks on July 25,” said al-Ahmed, adding that they will sign the reconciliation agreement on July 28.
—–Agencies