PA president says issues between groups can be resolved in next stage.
By JPOST.COM STAFFAbbas half smile profile 311(photo credit: AP)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has urged Hamas to endorse a reconciliation pact drawn up with Egyptian mediation, AFP reported on Tuesday, citing the Egyptian news agency.According to the report, Abbas highlighted the "importance" of inter-Palestinian reconciliation, adding that any outstanding issues between the West Bank-based Fatah government and the Hamas government in Gaza could be resolved during the implementation of the document.RELATED:W. Bank municipal elections delayed'Nobody denies Jewish history here'Speaking in Sharm e-Sheik following a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Abbas reportedly said, "If the paper is signed, we do not mind forming a transitional government or a government of technocrats or independents to oversee several issues, most notably receiving reconstruction funds."Gaza is slated to receive billions of dollars for rehabilitation and reconstruction purposes via the Palestinian Authority government.Hamas refuses to sign the Egyptian document, saying changes must be made to it.Last week, Fatah officials in Ramallah said Hamas had rejected an overture by Hamas to dispatch a Fatah delegation to the Gaza Strip to discuss ways of ending the power struggle between the two parties.