No talks if Fatah meet enemy

Ismail Radwan Gaza – Mohammed Habib      Key Hamas leader Ismail Radwan said that there can be no talk about progress in the reconciliation if Fatah tries to negotiate with the occupation. Ismail Radwan expressed his discontent with the latest announcement that Mahmoud Abbas was ready to meet Kadima party leader Shaul Mofaz to motivate the dwindling negotiations. Radwan said: “Instead of meeting with the Zionist occupation, Fatah should have resumed the dialogue with their people and apply the articles of the reconciliation on the ground as agreed in Cairo." Radwan denied the rumours about the Palestinian reconciliation profile or about new meetings as rumoured before Eid. He said that the ball now is in Fatah’s court to deal seriously with the issue and avoid escaping its obligations by resuming meetings with the occupation. Radwan said such meetings would hinder the reconciliation and would cover up the illegal settlements in Palestine. He said he didn't understand why Abbas would meet Mofaz: "he threatened Palestinian people over and over, he is accused of war crimes by a number of national and international courts" He added that “this meeting will provide legitimacy for Zionist war criminals to get away from national and international criminal courts, and it’s an entrapment for Abbas to slip into the negotiations project once again.” A senior Palestinian source had revealed that Mahmoud Abbas insisted on meeting with Mofaz after he said he had a new peace plan. Radwan rejected Fatah statements that the “Hamas in Gaza lacks the basics of reconciliation discourse”, and said that “these statements are a mean to escape the obligations of reconciliation. What is required is commitment to what was agreed and refrain from adding new conditions.” Fatah spokesman Osama Al-Qawasmi had said that reconciliation and national unity require applying what was agreed. She said that issuing meaningless press statements does not help the reconciliation. She added that Hamas did not place the people's interest before anything else in Gaza. Concerning the Rafah crossing, Radwan referred to positive Egyptian promises of opening the crossing next week and explained that the delay in opening the crossing is because of administrative reasons. Radwan stressed the necessity of applying the improvements promised by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to the operation of the crossing to facilitate travelling for Gaza inhabitants.