Fatah, Hamas trade accusations over delayed dialogue

by Saud Abu Ramadan

GAZA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- leaders of rival Islamic Hamas movement and Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party on Sunday traded accusations over the delay of their inter-reconciliation dialogue till August 25.

Conferees from the two rival groups held two sessions of dialogue on Saturday and Sunday in Cairo aiming at bridging gaps of differences on substantial issues related to mutual political arrests, the unity government, security and electoral law.

Azzam el-Ahmed, Fatah movement chief negotiator in the dialogue with Hamas movement told Xinhua on telephone from Cairo that the two groups "had failed to reach a deal that ends the current rift between Gaza and the West Bank."

El-Ahmed's statements were made at the end of a second session of talks held in Cairo on Sunday between the rival groups. He said their dialogue "was stuck with obstacles and we failed to reach any results."

"The two sides agreed with the Egyptian mediators to postpone the dialogue till August 25," el-Ahmed said.

Well-informed Palestinian sources said that the reason behind the delay "was due to the large gaps in the positions of the two sides, mainly the issue of the mutual political arrests in Gaza and West Bank."

The sources said that all the Palestinian factions "will join the upcoming session of the dialogue agreed to be held in Cairo on August 25 in the frame of a comprehensive national dialogue."

It is not the first time that the dialogue between Fatah and Hamas is postponed. Seven rounds of dialogue held in Cairo and supervised by Egypt since March had failed to overcome differences between the two rivals.

Fahim al-Za'arir, Fatah spokesman in the West Bank held Hamas movement fully responsible "for the obstruction of the dialogue and for not reaching understandings to sign a comprehensive reconciliation agreement."

"Fatah delegation has expressed full and enough flexibility to succeed the dialogue and reach an agreement, but it seems that Hamas only has intention and plans to slow down the dialogue."

Hamas in Gaza has meanwhile warned on Sunday that the failure of the dialogue with Abbas' Fatah party was due to what its leaders said "the new conditions of Fatah that were presented during the last sessions."