Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met in Ramallah Sunday with Egyptian Chief of General Intelligence Abbas Kamel and the head of the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate, Ahmed Husni.
Informed Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting tackled the upcoming elections, ways to advance the peace process and steps to accomplish the Palestinian reconciliation to end the rivalry between Abbas’s Fatah faction and Hamas.
On Friday, Abbas issued a formal presidential decree ordering the first Palestinian national elections in more than a decade and a half. The Legislative Council will be held on May 22 followed by the presidential election on July 31.
“The visit came as part of arrangements for a new phase in the region and in preparation for the start of a new US administration,” the sources said.
Abbas held talks with Kamel and Husni in the presence of Majed Faraj, head of the PA General Intelligence Service.
The visit came a few hours before Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi travels to Jordan Monday at the invitation of King Abdullah II.
During Sunday’s meeting, Abbas expressed gratitude at the efforts exerted by Sisi and King Abdullah to end the Fatah-Hamas rift, WAFA reported.
Leaders of Hamas and Fatah are expected to meet in Cairo in the coming days to discuss preparations for holding the long overdue elections.
Meanwhile, Egyptian media outlets said Kamel delivered a message from Sisi, consisting of Egypt's fixed stance on the necessity to reach a "fair solution" for the Palestinian cause.
The message also stressed Egypt’s keenness to intensify its efforts so that it contributes to the success of the Palestinian elections process.
