Hamas confirms to join unity talks in Cairo

Source: Xinhua | 02-24-2009 18:21

GAZA, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced Tuesday it will join the Egypt-brokered Palestinian unity and reconciliation talks scheduled to start on Thursday in Cairo.

A Hamas delegation is traveling to the Egyptian capital on Tuesday from Syria and will meet another one-member team from the Gaza Strip, Hamas said in a statement sent to reporters.

Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan said on Tuesday that the identity of the Gaza-based official will remain withheld until the last moment due to security concerns.

Radwan added that Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas leader who was hiding during Israeli offensive in the strip in December and January, has returned from Cairo after talks he held in the wake of the 22-day Israeli offensive on Gaza that ended on Jan. 18.

Radwan, however, refused to answer whether Zahar is going to travel again to Cairo to join Hamas delegation to the dialogue aimed at reconciling Hamas with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.

Hamas lawmaker Mushier al-Massri has said his movement had accepted the Egyptian invitation for the comprehensive national dialogue, adding "we are going to Cairo with open hearts and a good will and we don't have any preconditions."

He, meanwhile, stressed that Fatah must release all the political prisoners it holds in the West Bank to secure the success of the dialogue.

Hamas and Fatah have been cracking down against their political dissidents since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip by force in 2007.

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) under President Abbas has promised to free 80 Hamas supporters in the West Bank prior to the beginning of the dialogue, but Hamas said the move was insufficient.

"We have 800 supporters the Ramallah government refuses to free because it is restricted by the American agenda," al-Massri said.

After Hamas and Fatah took several steps to pave the way for the dialogue, their efforts were about to fail on Monday after Hamas released video records said to be for Fatah-affiliated men who spied for Israel during the Gaza offensive.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei