Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on Tuesday called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to conclude the reconciliation process between Hamas and Fatah, which got underway five months ago.
Speaking in Cairo after a celebration of the release of Palestinian prisoners, Mashaal said Abbas should meet with him in the Egyptian capital and review "the policy of negotiation" with Israel, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.The call came after a Hamas succeeded in securing the release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israel, numbers that pale in comparison to the releases Abbas has managed to release over the years. In light of that, the Hamas leader suggested Abbas follow its model for negotiations, saying "whoever goes to negotiations without strong cards" is not likely to succeed, according to Ma'an.
