Hamas, Fatah to resume talks within days

The official in charge of planning and international cooperation in the Palestinian Authority Nabil Shaath has announced that talks between the Hamas movement and Fatah will be resumed within days.

Shaath said that the two sides will hold a meeting in Gaza as soon as possible and the talks will be resumed in Cairo next week. He explained that the Palestinian Authority will persist on its position which demand an end to all operations against Israeli civilians as a first phase to cease fire that allows Israel to pull out its forces to the line before September 28, 2000, when the Palestinian Intifada had erupted. Shaath called for not targeting unarmed Israeli settlers.

He added that talks between the two movements will also deal with the commitment by Hamas to accept the foundation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as a capital within the borders of 1967 only.

Shaath expressed his optimism over the results of the new talks and the possibility of reaching an agreement. He, however, added that the success depends on the international community, including the USA, Egypt, and the European Union in order to get a commitment from the Israeli side.