Hamas: Palestinians groups proud of ties with Iran, meet in Syria
Prime Minister of the Palestinian unity government Ismail Haniyeh had said Sunday that Palestinians were proud of relations with Islamic states, Iran in particular.
"When the Palestinian people were under siege, they were helped by Iran and other Islamic states. Palestinians give great value to their help," Haniyeh said in an important speech to his supporters in Gaza Strip.
Yesterday, the New York Times reported that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Haniyeh last week after fighting between Hamas and Fatah saying that Haniyeh "who has not recognized his dismissal" made a request for negotiation with Fatah.
Haniyeh rejected claims made by certain Palestinian Authority officials that Iran, Syria and Qatar were involved in recent tensions in Gaza Strip which led to dissolution of the Palestinian unity government by President Abbas and declaration of state of emergency.
Describing those claims as "baseless," Haniyeh said "How could Iran, Qatar or Syria be involved in Gaza tensions while the region was completely under siege?" The prime minister said such claims were part of an "unfounded" plan made only to serve the interests and political objectives of the US in the region.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African affairs Mohammad-Reza Bagheri said on Sunday in Syria he has met and called on leaders of Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas to be united in their resistance.
Briefing Iranian journalists based in Damascus, Bagheri said that Palestinians should stay vigilant for plots hatched for them and avoid such traps.
Expressing his regret that some 3000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed or wounded in the recent inter-Palastinian clashes, the Iranian official said that the Palestinians should notice the fact that discord among them only serves the interests of their common enemy.
Envoy of Mahmoud Abbas, chairman Palestine National Authority (PNA), said in Damascus on Sunday that the alleged Iranian involvement in the events of Gaza Strip are "hasty charge."
The representative of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Abbas Zaki made the remarks after talks with Syrian
Vice-President Farouk Al-Shara.
Responding to a question, Zaki noted "We give priority to the current good relations with Iran as an important country in the Middle East, and hope that there will be no suspicion in bilateral ties."
The envoy further said, "Iran calls for removing the dispute between Palestinian parties in the aftermath of recent conflicts in Gaza Strip."
Pointing to a meeting he held with Iran's Mohammad-Reza Bagheri in Damascus yesterday, Zaki added, "I was expected to brief him on the current events in Palestine and policies adopted by the Palestine National Authority."
The PLO representative in Lebanon added, "Iran is to get informed of stances of both Hamas and Fatah (two main parties of Palestine), explore the situation and raise an initiative, while maintaining historical relations between Tehran and the Palestinian people."
He also assessed his meeting with Farouk al-Shara as positive, saying, "Syria understands the situation in Palestine very well and has accurate viewpoint in this regard."
