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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: June 19, 2006 |
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Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II voiced concern Sunday over fighting among Palestinian factions and urged a resumption of stalled Mideast peace talks, the two countries' foreign ministers said.
"The talks (between Mubarak and Abdullah) concentrated on how to work to defuse current tension between Hamas and Fatah and how to lead the Palestinians toward a consensus ... that will prevent any clashes and take them to the land of safety," Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit said after talks in the Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheik.
Aboul Gheit and his Jordanian counterpart, Abdul-Illah al-Khatib, also said the two leaders expressed support for a European Union-sponsored plan to channel humanitarian aid to the Palestinians while sidestepping the Hamas-led government.
The plan approved Saturday would fund Palestinians' health care, utilities and social services with an initial allocation of about $126 million. The EU hopes to have a funding mechanism in place by early July.
Mubarak and Abdullah's meeting came amid a dialogue between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah group and the ruling Hamas party, over a plan drafted by members of both factions jailed in Israel. It calls for a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, and is considered by many to implicitly recognize the Jewish state.
Abbas initially gave Hamas 10 days to accept the plan or face a national referendum. The deadline was extended however, and parties began negotiations on the plan.
Before meeting Mubarak in Sinai, Abudullah met with Abbas in Amman and told the Palestinian leader about his concern over Palestinian infighting. |
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