Abbas: Our hands extended for national reconciliation
www.chinaview.cn 2008-11-23 05:57:15   Print

    RAMALLAH, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated on Saturday that both Fatah movement and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) extend their hands to achieve a national reconciliation.

    Abbas made the reiteration while speaking at an investment conference held in the West Bank city of Nablus.

    While voiced his PNA and Fatah's desire for national reconciliation, Abbas also slammed rival Hamas movement by saying that "we reject the logic following foreign agendas that are rejected by our people."

    Hamas thwarted a comprehensive dialogue scheduled to be held in Cairo on Nov. 10, saying it won't hold any dialogue with Fatah until Abbas and his PNA stops arresting Hamas activists in the West Bank.

    Egypt has presented a draft document to the leaders of the Palestinian factions, including rival Fatah and Hamas. Hamas said it has several reservations on the document, but Abbas said that the Egyptian document was fully accepted.

    "Our hands are still extended to achieve a national unity because unity means power and the current split means weakness," said Abbas.

    PNA rules all the West Bank, while the Gaza Strip is ruled by Hamas since last summer. After Hamas movement took control of the Gaza Strip by force on June 14 last year, Abbas deposed the government that Hamas was heading and formed a caretaker government.

    "We really want to form a government that is not politically related to the Palestinian political factions. We want a government that ends the embargo and lift the suffocating blockade imposed on Gaza," said Abbas.

    Meanwhile, Abbas assured that the Palestinians would reject all the interim solutions with Israel, adding that "Israel should first stop settlements activities and all the permanent status issues have to be resolved together."

Editor: Yan
Related Stories
Home World
  Back to Top