The Secretary-General of the Central Committee of Fatah Movement Jibril Rajoub confirmed that Egypt has approved hosting Palestinian talks that would bring together the chiefs of factions after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued the election decree.
Rajoub's statements dispelled reports about Egypt allegedly refusing to host the talks because it expressed discontent over the reconciliation meeting taking place in Istanbul.
Egypt and other countries in the region have shown reservations about Palestinians declaring reconciliation from Turkey especially after Cairo having, for many years, sponsored countless negotiations and agreements for Palestinian settlement.
Rajoub, however, confirmed that matters were settled with Egypt hosting upcoming talks.
“We went to everyone who blamed us and explained the situation to them, and the matter was resolved,” Rajoub told a local radio station in Gaza.
He explained that Fatah’s stance remained consistent with views of Arab and regional countries, reflecting Palestine’s Arab and Islamic depth.
Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian factions, had agreed last month in Istanbul to hold elections gradually over the span of the next six months.
The leadership in both factions agreed that a broader deal would be established among Palestinian factions for the issuing of an election decree. This will be followed by national dialogue to address the mechanisms, laws, and references used in the fresh elections.
Fatah and Hamas held a number of meetings with Palestinian factions in order to achieve a general agreement that would include written approvals sent to President Abbas before issuing the election decree.
However, Fatah officials raised doubts about the issuance of the decree, due to a delay by Hamas.
Fatah Central Committee member Azzam Al-Ahmad confirmed that Hamas was late in sending a response to the election proposal.
Ahmad blamed Hamas for obstructing reconciliation so far.
Other officials have also questioned Hamas’ commitment to reconciliation and said that the Gaza-based group demanded settling other issues first, like the dispensing of the salaries of its public servants.