Hamas accepts Egypt's initiative for boosting Palestinian internal reconciliation

GAZA - Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, accepted on Thursday an Egyptian initiative that aims at ending internal feuds between the movement and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah Party.

The office of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh said in an emailed press statement that Haniyeh has informed Abbas Kamel, chief of the Egyptian Security Intelligence, that Hamas accepts the Egyptian initiative.

"Hamas accepts the Egyptian document that was presented to Hamas delegation during its visit to Cairo last week," said the office.

Egypt presented an initiative to both Hamas and Fatah aiming at ending Palestinian internal feuds and pushing forward the reconciliation talks stalled since December last year.

Local media reported that Egypt asked Hamas in their initiative to hand over power to the Palestinian Authority (PA) consensus government and the government pays the monthly salaries for some 20,000 employees appointed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The Egyptian initiative, according to what was published in the local Palestinian media, called on both Fatah and Hamas to stop trading accusations through the media and reconcile.

The Egyptian initiative also urged that after handing over power in the Gaza Strip to the PA, both sides have to work on forming a new unity government for both Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

"The last visit of Hamas delegation to Cairo was positive and the Egyptian paper was the outcome of an in-depth dialogue," said Haniyeh's office statement.

It added that Hamas accepted the document "depending on its evaluation of the current exceptional circumstances that the Palestinian cause is passing through and the dangerous plans that aim at liquidating the Palestinian cause, mainly the issues of Jerusalem and the refugees."