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Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (file
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| By Israel Insider staff August 8, 2007 |
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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's plans to bolster Fatah may experience a grave setback in light of Hamas and Fatah's renewal of secret talks aimed at repairing relations. Olmert has been attempting to bolster Fatah's position and isolate Hamas, a militant group whose primary goal is to destroy Israel.
"The talks are being held at a low-level," a Fatah official told the Jerusalem Post. "It's premature to talk about a breakthrough, but at least we are talking again."
Olmert said on Tuesday that he does not have information about the talks, according to sources in the prime minister's office. However during his meeting with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday, Olmert said that the renewal of Fatah-Hamas talks could have harsh "diplomatic ramifications," underscoring his opposition to a united Palestinian government. Abbas vowed not to renew contact with the militant group.
A Hamas-Fatah reuinification could undermine all diplomatic progress achieved so far between Olmert and Abbas.
However a senior Fatah official and Abbas aide, Ahmed Abdel Rahman, said Fatah was willing to begin a dialogue with Hamas.
"We want to hear from Hamas an apology for what they did in the Gaza Strip," Abdel Rahman said. "If they want to resume the dialogue with Fatah, they must first admit that they made a mistake when they staged a coup against the legitimate authority."
Hamas officials insist that Fatah is willing to reunite without its demands being met.
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on Wednesday called on Yemen to secure a national agreement between Hamas and Fatah because "Israel and other international organizations are seeking to deepen the tear between the two groups."
According to a Fatah official, Russia was also involved in the mediation efforts, the Post reported.
"The Russians informed Abbas that they were planning to invite senior Hamas representatives to Moscow for talks on ways of resolving the dispute," he said. "We are not opposed to the mediation efforts, but there are certain conditions that Hamas must fulfill before we move forward. Hamas must apologize for its coup and hand over all the security installations it occupied last June."
Another official said that several Arab countries were also active in reconciling the two factions, holding meetings in the West Bank, Beirut, Cairo and Damascus, as well as several Gulf capitals.
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