Egypt talks to Hamas and Al Jihad abroad

Bilateral talks opened between Egypt and leaders of Palestinian factions abroad (Hamas and Al Jihad) on ways of rallying Palestinian ranks.

In this framework, a meeting was held yesterday between Omar Solaiman, the Chief of the Egyptian intelligence service and leaders of Al Jihad faction abroad.

Solaiman will meet within hours with the leaderships of Hamas movement for reaching an agreement on how to push forward the political process.

This meeting complements understandings which were reached with the leaders hips of these factions at home and aim at calming down the situation on Palestinian territories in order to provide a climate suitable for launching peace negotiations and satisfying the ambitions of the Palestinian people for freedom and the establishment of their own independent state.

These factions had agreed on calming down the situation through halting military operations for one month, a period during which the PA would explore the Israeli stance and willingness of the Israeli side to respond to Palestinian demands.

In this respect, the Egyptian stance focuses on offering every possible aid to ease down the sufferings on the Palestinian people and seizing every possible opportunity to resume peace negotiations in conformity with the road map and international resolutions which confirm legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

Meantime, in the framework of underway contacts with Israel for securing the Egyptian frontiers against any infiltration or smuggling attempts, the joint military committee will meet in Cairo on February 10 for discussing efforts for deployment of the Egyptian frontier troops instead of police troops.

During that meeting, the Israeli side is expected to offer answers to many Egyptian demands which would be tackled before signing mutual letters on deployment process.