Hasan Abu Nimah: An impossible reconciliation

Palestinians in Gaza wearing masks of Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh call for unity between the feuding groups. (Wissam Nassar/MaanImages)

One major stumbling block has been hundreds of Hamas political detainees held in Palestinian Authority and Fatah-controlled prisons in the West Bank. (The Palestinian Authority routinely denied such arrests, although Abbas announced that 200 Hamas prisoners would be freed on the occasion of the start of Ramadan.) Hamas also demands that Fatah security forces supplied, trained and supervised by US General Keith Dayton halt their crackdown on resistance fighters from Hamas as part of the American-backed plan for crushing any form of resistance to Israeli occupation.

This really is the heart of the matter. Hamas is in effect asking its Fatah/Palestinian Authority (PA) opponent to abandon its primary role undertaken as part of its “peace strategy” and its commitments to the so-called “international community,” the Quartet roadmap, as well as the Dayton plan. Fatah and the PA apparatus it controls adheres to this US-sponsored anti-resistance strategy as the primary condition for the continuation of international financing for the PA.

For full article, visit http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10742.shtml

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What Actually Happened in Fatah’s Elections?

In his WINEP speech Dayton acknowledged this crackdown when he said, “I don’t know how many of you are aware, but over the last year-and-a-half, the Palestinians have engaged upon a series of what they call security offensives throughout the West Bank, surprisingly well coordinated with the Israeli army.” He further admitted that during the 22-day Gaza war last winter, U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces prevented Palestinians in the West Bank from organizing mass protests against the Israeli army, which ironically allowed for the reduction of the Israeli military presence in the West Bank in order to redeploy those troops to Gaza. Dayton added, “As a matter of fact, a good portion of the Israeli army went off to Gaza from the West Bank— think about that for a minute, and the (Israeli military) commander (of the West Bank) was absent for eight straight days.”

For full article, visit http://www.counterpunch.org/amin08142009.html

Abbas orders the release of 200 political prisoners

Maan added that Abbas told Egyptian security officials who visited Ramallah recently that “Fateh movement agrees to all of the demands of Hamas under the condition that Hamas agrees to presidential and legislative elections in 2010”. 

The statements of Abbas surprised the Egyptian team who immediately headed to Damascus to hold talks with Hamas’ political bureau leader, Khalid Mashal, to listen to his response.

For full article, visit http://www.imemc.org/article/61460

Hamas: Fatah raids disrupting talks

“What is happening in the West Bank cannot be accepted,” Khaled Meshaal said on Tuesday after meeting Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian intelligence chief.

“We will pursue our policy in co-operating with the Egyptian efforts to reach a real reconciliation, but the most difficult obstacle hampering reaching a Palestinian reconciliation is what is happening in the West Bank,” he said.

Meshaal’s comments to the Cairo-based Arab League came after raids were launched across the Israeli-occupied territory by Fatah, led by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.

For full article, visit http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/200969204138605884.html

Rafah crossing officials admit “mistakes were made” during last opening

The crossing authorities sent a statement on Thursday, following the April 17-18 opening for patients, students and passport holders. Following the opening accusations were made that privilege was given to Hamas-affiliated individuals and that others were denied permission to leave based on political affiliation.

For full article, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=37337

Report: Egypt threatening to step down as Hamas-Fatah broker

Egypt has threatened to withdraw its sponsorship of Palestinian unity negotiations if rival parties Hamas and Fatah do not reach an agreement soon, an Egyptian newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to the newspaper Al-Masryoun, if no agreement is reached before the end of May, Cairo will no longer play the role of broker in the unity talks.

For full article, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=37322

Barenboim gets ovation in Cairo

Mr Barenboim founded the joint Arab-Israeli orchestra, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, with the late Palestinian-American writer Edward Said in 1999 to further cultural exchange between young people in Israel and the Arab world.

His views earned him an honorary Palestinian Authority passport in 2007.

For full article, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8002684.stm

Rafah crossing to open for patients, students and residents on Sunday

The Crossings Authority is “fully prepared to allow those stranded to leave within these two days,” said Ghazi Hamad, an authority spokesperson, who added that “they will work on overcoming the obstacles” related to “coordinating an extension for a third day.”

For full article, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=37164

Stranded patients, frustrated medical workers protest Rafah closure

Egypt insists that it will only open the crossing if Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reach an agreement to operate the crossing in accordance with the 2005 agreement.

The demonstrators waved flags and held banners of “we call on Egypt to save our lives,” “we call on all parties to avoid Rafah crossing from the political disputes,” “please help us to get our proper medical treatment.”

For full article, visit http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=561:gaza-patients-protest-as-death-chasing-them&catid=58:gaza-strip&Itemid=182

Local sources said people carried banners calling for Egypt to open the crossing and  to keep it free of politics. The patients demanded that they be allowed to travel for treatment outside the Gaza Strip since the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza have left the hospitals there unable to treat many illnesses. According to the Department responsible for Borders and Crossings at least 700 Palestinian patients are waiting for the opening of the Rafah border crossing in order to access treatment outside the Strip.

Source: http://www.imemc.org/article/59984

Egypt confiscates fuel meant to be smuggled into Gaza

Egyptian sources reported on Tuesday that Egyptian border policemen located and confiscated 19.000 liters of fuel that were meant to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip via underground tunnels between Gaza and Egypt.

For full article, visit http://www.imemc.org/article/59949