Israel Matzav

Breaking: Fatah and Hamas initial reconciliation deal in Cairo; UPDATED X2

Citing al-Jazeera, Lebanon's Naharnet is reporting on its home page that Fatah and Hamas have initialed a 'reconciliation' agreement in Cairo (Hat Tip: Noah Pollak via Twitter).

Danielle Pletka points out that if this story is correct, the United States is required by law to cut off all aid to the 'Palestinian Authority,' because Hamas is considered a terror organization under US law.

Hmmm.

It sounds like the 'Palestinians' are looking to break from the US.

UPDATE 6:31 PM

Israel Radio's 6:30 update reports this story as fact. No qualifications. No attribution.

UPDATE 6:33 PM

JPost now reporting as well.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement hammered an agreement with the rival Hamas group on Wednesday on forming an interim government and fixing a date for general election, Egyptian intelligence said.

"The consultations resulted in full understandings over all points of discussions, including setting up an interim agreement with specific tasks and to set a date for election," Egyptian intelligence said in a statement.

A Hamas delegation was reported to be in Cairo Tuesday for talks on Fatah-Hamas reconciliation.

The delegation, which was be headed by Musa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby and members of the ruling military council.

At the same time that the Hamas delegation was meeting with officials in Cairo, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sat down with an Egyptian diplomat in Ramallah.

In the meeting with Egyptian Ambassador to the PA Yasser Othman, Abbas said, "Egypt is the backbone of our people's aspirations toward having an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital," official Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA reported.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Hamas-Fatah reconciliation

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:23 PM