Hamas member claims reconciliation is 'on ice'

Senior Hamas official Ismail al-Ashqar has denied a breakdown in relations with Fatah, but has admitted that Palestinian reconciliation has been "put on ice." Speaking to reporters on Monday, al-Ashqar reiterated Hamas' desire for reconciliation and accused Fatah of not being serious. "There is an unprecedented drive in the West Bank towards summons, arrests and harassment of [Hamas] leaders, cadres and supporters. "This implies that Fatah doesn't want to create the appropriate atmosphere for reconciliation," he said. Al-Ashqar also referred to the recent row between Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Aziz Duwaik and the head of Fatah's dialogue delegation, Azzam al-Ahmed, as a sign of division between the two factions. The Hamas official said President Mahmoud Abbas had "disavowed" promises and added: "There has been a U-turn over some matters we had agreed upon, especially regarding the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), the elections and the government." He urged Fatah to show that it is willing to push forward with reconciliation. "Hamas has received nothing in the West Bank, hasn't opened its offices and arrests are still taking place. The president doesn't have the right to pick and choose the issues. All the issues are important," he said. Al-Ashqar also stated that US President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to the region would lead to a shift in attention from Palestinian reconciliation to negotiations with Israel.