Palestinian rivals hail new era of ‘partnership’

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal on Thursday hailed a new era of partnership between their rival movements at talks in Cairo aimed at cementing a stalled unity deal. But there was little indication of any concrete progress in resolving disputes which have blocked implementation of a reconciliation agreement signed six months ago. Speaking to reporters after their meeting, the two leaders said they had ironed out their differences and turned a new page in their strained relationship.
“We want to assure our people and the Arab and Islamic world that we have turned a major new and real page in partnership on everything to do with the Palestinian nation,” Meshaal said.
“There are no more differences between us now,” added Abbas, who heads the Fatah movement. “We have agreed to work as partners with joint responsibility.” The leaders spoke after two hours of face-to-face talks in Cairo, the first since they inked the reconciliation deal in May. In the meeting, Abbas and Meshaal approved a two-page document reiterating their commitment to the main elements of the original deal, saying they would establish a joint government after elections to be held in May. They pledged to resolve the issue of political prisoners held by each side “within days” and said they would put together a temporary cabinet of independents, to be agreed upon next month.
Hamas to focus on popular resistance: Meshaal Hamas is looking to focus its energies on popular resistance without giving up its right to wage armed struggle against Israel, the Islamist movement’s leader Khaled Meshaal told AFP in an interview. “Every people has the right to fight against occupation in every way, with weapons or otherwise. But at the moment, we want to cooperate with the popular resistance,” the group’s Damascus-based leader said in the interview late on Thursday. “We believe in armed resistance but popular resistance is a programme which is common to all the factions,” he said. “This resistance will be increased and organised and there is to be an agreement on its style, on greater efficiency and the formation of a framework to direct it,” it said.