Abbas, Mashaal to meet in Cairo for talks

Morsi to oversee Palestinian reconciliation talks; Hamas to discuss cease-fire in Gaza with Egyptian officials.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Abbas and Hamas leader (photo credit: Reuters)
Abbas and Hamas leader
(photo credit: Reuters)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal are expected to meet in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss ending the dispute between Fatah and Hamas.
The meeting will be held in the presence of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and senior representatives of Fatah and Hamas.
Hamas and Fatah officials said that the talks would focus on ways to implement previous reconciliation accords reached between the two movements, first and foremost the formation of a Palestinian unity government and holding long overdue presidential and parliamentary elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Following the Abbas- Mashaal summit, Fatah and Hamas officials will hold separate talks in Cairo to pursue efforts to end the dispute, the officials said.
The Hamas delegation is also scheduled to hold talks with Egyptian intelligence officials to discuss ways to solidify the current cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
Abbas was also scheduled to meet Tuesday night with US envoy David Hale in Jordan to discuss the possibility of resuming peace talks between the PA and Israel.
A PA official in Ramallah said Abbas was planning to reiterate his call to the US to exert pressure on Israel to stop settlement construction in order to pave the way for the resumption of the peace process.
Abbas will also discuss with the US envoy the severe financial crisis facing the PA in wake of the UN General Assembly vote in favor of upgrading the Palestinians’ status to non-member observer state.