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Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit
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| By israelinsider staff May 29, 2007 |
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As Egypt's foreign minister urged both Israel and the PA to end violence Monday, Fatah agreed to meet with Hamas in Egypt next week to discuss the PA security situation, and Abbas announced Tuesday his June 7 meeting with Prime Minster Olmert.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, "demanded the Israeli side immediately halt all of its military operations in the Gaza Strip," but also emphasized "the necessity of stopping the launching of Palestinian rockets." He stated that the Qassams were "a pretext for Israeli troops to carry out more military operations."
Aboul Gheit also criticized the factional fighting between Fatah and Hamas, saying that "Palestinian infighting only benefits the Israeli side and supports its pretext that there is no negotiation partner."
Aboul Gheit stated that Palestinian infighting has a "negative impact," but also said that "the stagnation in the peace process is not due to Palestinian local events, but these events are used by Israel and the United States to justify not moving the peace process."
Aboul Gheit met Monday with UN Mideast envoy Michael C. Williams to discuss the peace process.
According to another foreign ministry statement, Aboul Gheit "urged the necessity of achieving solid progress in peace in the Middle East as the only guarantee of stopping violence and escalation among Palestinians and Israelis."
Williams complimented Egypt's efforts, saying, "We welcome Egypt's efforts to regain stability in Gaza, which is of absolute importance."
Fatah to meet Hamas
In continuing Egyptian efforts, Fatah accepted Egypt's proposal Monday to meet with Hamas next week in Cairo in an effort to put an end to factional fighting, reported Middle East News Agency (MENA).
Egyptian security head Omar Suleiman, who proposed the meeting to Fatah Monday, is planning on also proposing the same meeting to Hamas, whose representatives will soon visit Cairo.
The two groups achieved a shaky cease-fire more than a week ago, but the recent burst of factional fighting has left more than 50 Palestinian's dead, and tensions are still high.
Abbas to meet Olmert
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas announced that he would be meeting with Prime Minister Olmert on June 7. The Prime Minister's Office confirmed the meeting but not the day, saying it would be held next week.
According to a PMO statement, the talks are "an additional meeting in the framework of the sides' desire to hold regular contacts."
Olmert and Abbas last met in April where they discussed the future of a Palestinian state, but stayed away from issues like borders, Jerusalem and refugees.
"They did speak about a political horizon, which included economic cooperation with a future Palestinian state and expanding the dialog about economic ventures with the Palestinians and how a future Palestinian economy would be comprised in such a state," said PMO official David Baker to Haaretz. |
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