Special report: Palestine-Israel
Relations
DAMASCUS, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas would not meet Hamas leaders living exile in Syria during his
two-day visit here, his senior aide said on Sunday.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat made the
remarks to reporters ahead of Abbas's scheduled meeting with Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad on Sunday.
"President Abbas came to Syria on an official visit
and what is on his agenda is to meet Assad, and other meetings are not on the
agenda," he said when asked whether Abbas would meet with Palestinian leaders in
Syria, including those of Hamas.
As for the summit between Abbas and Assad, Erekat
said the two leaders would discuss the current situation on the Palestinian
arena and the latest developments of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.
The talks came within the framework of continued
coordination and cooperation between the two leaders, Erekat said, adding that
coordination between the two sides is on the highest level and on all issues,
especially the peace process in the region.
Erekat said Abbas would ask Assad to help achieve
success of Egyptian-brokered inter-Palestinian dialogue, noting that the
dialogue should not fail because division among the Palestinian factions has
harmed the interest of the Palestinians, which was used by Israel.
Assad had held talks with Abbas, who arrived here
Saturday, before Sunday noon, but details of the meeting has not been released,
official Syrian SANA news agency reported.
Egypt, which has been mediating a national
Palestinian reconciliation since Hamas drove out pro-Abbas forces and ousted his
Fatah party from Gaza in June 2007, is expected to call for a Palestinian
national dialogue in November.
But ahead of November's inter-Palestinian dialogue,
Egypt prepares to sponsor bilateral talks between Hamas and Fatah on Oct.25,
which would be the first official meeting between the two rival movements since
their rift widened last year.
A senior Hamas leader on Saturday said his movement
has agreed with Egyptian mediators to form a Palestinian national government and
reform security services as part of efforts to settle the crisis with Fatah.
Fatah welcomes Hamas chief's call for
ending political arrests
RAMALLAH,
Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Fatah official Sunday welcomed Hamas politburo chief
Khaled Mashaal's recent call for stopping incitement between the two movements
and releasing each other's members.
"I hope Mashaal's call finds effect on the ground,"
said Qadoura Fares, a senior official from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas'
Fatah movement. Full story
Hamas confirms resume of indirect
talks on captive Israeli soldier
GAZA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement on
Sunday said it resumed indirect talks with Israel on prisoner swapping.
Hamas suspended the talks in recent months by saying
Israel has violated an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire in Hamas-controlled Gaza
Strip since June. Full story
