Hamas sets new unity talks terms

[oberliner]

A Hamas delegation is meeting Egyptian officials in Cairo to try to set a new date for the signing of a Palestinian unity deal, a spokesman for the Palestinian group has said.

Sami Abu-Zuhri told the AFP news agency that the team led by Moussa Abu Marzuk, an exiled senior Hamas official, is to hold talks with Omar Suleiman, Egypt's intelligence chief, on "a new, appropriate date for the new session of inter-Palestinian dialogue".

Abu-Zuhri said "the atmosphere is not right for the signing of an accord".

Hamas, which governs Gaza, has asked Egypt to delay the signing of the deal, which Cairo as mediator had announced for later this month, a source within the group said on Wednesday.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/10/20091010104118293581.html

[Turbineguy]

1. This is just too bizarre.

Not only do the Palestinians have to go up against a good bit of the rest of the world. They have to go against each other.

No wonder the Israelis never assassinated Yassir Arafat. He was perfect. Incompetent, corrupt and physically repulsive. His legacy endures.

[bemildred]

2. Hamas says Egypt to delay Palestinian dialogue upon request

GAZA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement said Saturday Egypt has proposed to delay Palestinian national reconciliation dialogue to December in response to Hamas' request.

"A delegation from Hamas visited Cairo and asked for postponing the Palestinian national dialogue and the Egyptian officials have accepted the request," said Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman.

Abu Zuhri refused to reveal the content of the new proposal but another official, Salah al-Bardaweel, told reporters in Gaza that Egypt has delayed the declaration of the Palestinian reconciliation to December.

Abu Zuhri said that Hamas will study the new offer and will respond to the Egyptians soon.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/10/content_12208957.htm

[bemildred]

3. Fatah slams Hamas following report of postponing inter-reconciliation deal

GAZA/RAMALLAH, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party officials on Saturday slammed rival Islamic Hamas movement for asking Egypt to postpone signing an inter-Palestinian reconciliation pact from Oct. 26 to December.

Jamal Mhesen, Fatah central committee member, told Xinhua that "any postponement of the last round of dialogue would be a big fatal mistake."

He accused Hamas of using the crisis of a UN fact-finding report on Gaza war "as an excuse to escape from signing the deal on Oct. 26."

Earlier on Saturday, Gaza-based Hamas movement's leaders announced that the movement has received a new Egyptian proposal during a meeting held in Cairo between Hamas leaders and Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, which delays Palestinian national reconciliation deal until December upon Hamas request.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/11/content_12209140.htm