'Egypt stopped mediating between Hamas and Fatah due to US-Israel veto'

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Egypt has stopped mediating between Hamas and Fatah due to a US-Israel veto, the London-based A-Sharq al-Awasat reported Sunday, quoting a senior Palestinian source. The source also said that he did not believe Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's visit to Damascus or Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal's trip to Yemen would kick-start dialogue between the two Palestinian factions. The source said that Egypt was currently working to implement the Gaza truce and to broker a deal for the release of captive IDF soldier Gilad Schalit. "The Egyptians know what Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa knows, who recently asked US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to lift her opposition to internal Palestinian dialogue," he said, adding that due to the circumstances as well as the insistence of both Palestinian groups in sticking to their positions, there was presently no chance of dialogue.