Hamas calls president Abbas to visit Gaza

Leading figure MP Yehia Moussa, said that Hamas' holding powere in the Gaza enclave has never closed the door for achieveing reconciliation with Fatah which controls the West Bank. Speaking to the local Daily Falastin, Moussa insisted that Hamas is open to endorse a reconciliation agreement based on the main foundations of the Palestinian people, but he blamed Fatah and its leader President Mahmoud Abbas for foiling the efforts of reaching reconciliation between the two long standing rivals. "Fatah and President Abbas insisted to associate the reconciliation in holding the elections, and they have recently closed the door for resuming the negotiations when President Abbas said clear that there is no dialogue with Hamas," said Moussa. The Palestinian lawmaker stressed that Hamas has no fears over the elections because its popularity has been growing recently in both Gaza and the West Bank, and that was evident in the results of the Palestinian Employees Union election in which Hamas candidates achieved great success. He ascribed his movement's will in delaying the legislative election to the desire of Hamas to find a comprehensive solution for all the problems that led to the separation between Gaza and the West Bank. Moussa said that Hamas is ready to receive President Abbas in Gaza for resuming dialogue over the reconciliation and agreeing a new strategy establishing the Palestinian state and dealing with the challenge against the Israeli occupation. On the recent visit of the Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyah to to Egypt, is a sign for Hamas recognising the significance of Egypt's role in supporting the Palestinian cause, and Haniyeh's desire to stay in contact with the Egyptian government on the latest developments in relation between the two sides, especially regarding opening the crossings connecting Gaza to Egypt in order to get over the Israeli blockade imposed on the enclave since five years ago. On the current role of the Legislative Council, the lower house of the Palestinian Parliament amid the state of separation between Gaza and the West Bank, Moussa admitted that the separation has led to suspending the council's political role, yet he said that the council is keeping a close censorship over the performance of Gaza's government in order to guarantee that the citizens are being granted the best possible service, and their problems are solved as quickly as possible. He said the council's deputies find full cooperation from the ministers in the issues reported by the council to the government, and gave example by the case of smuggling stolen cars through the tunnels extended across the borders between Egypt and Gaza, saying that this kind of smuggling has been reduced by 90% due to the cooperation between the government and Gaza's lawmakers.