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Major Palestinian factions on Thursday wrapped up a three-day dialogue outside Cairo, promising to maintain calm with Israel while urging the Jewish state to abide by its commitments.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and representatives of a dozen or so Palestinian factions said they agreed to observe a quiet period which has largely taken hold since a Palestinian-Israeli summit last month, but stressed that Israel should stop its aggressions against the Palestinian people.
"Based on the platform of 2005, we agree on maintaining the recent calm with Israel provided that Israel stops its aggression on the Palestinian people and lands and releases all prisoners and detainees," they said in a final statement.
The statement, entitled "Cairo Declaration," was read by Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, a major Egyptian mediator in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, at the end of the meeting.
The latest round of inter-Palestinian dialogue opened here on Tuesday as the Palestinians tried to sort out differences over a formal ceasefire with Israel and to achieve a unified stance toward peace talks with the Jewish state.
Palestinian officials and representatives of major militant groups, including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad (Holy War), took part in the meeting.
The final statement stopped short of declaring the formal truce the international community had hoped Abbas would obtain. In the statement, the Palestinian factions pledged to commit to the Palestinian rights of resistance until a statehood is established with Jerusalem as its capital.
"Continuing building the separation wall, judaization of Jerusalem and building settlements will create a volatile situation," the statement read, referring to several thorny and fundamental issues that are surely to pop up in any future peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.
A Hamas leader said the group believed a ceasefire could hold only if Israel was committed to its promises.
"We'll observe the quiet period till the end of this year, but Israel should act accordingly," Mohamed Nazaal told Xinhua after the meeting.
He reiterated that Israel must release Palestinian prisoners, stop anti-Palestinian aggressions and pull out of occupied Palestinian lands.
At the Feb. 8 summit, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared a mutual ceasefire. The Israeli leader further agreed to release some 900 Palestinian prisoners and return security control of five West Bank cities.
However, the ceasefire agreement was shattered after a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv on Feb. 25 killed five Israelis. Israel also froze measures to release Palestinian prisoners and transfer security control of the West Bank cities after the attack. The fulfillment of the promises by Israel is crucial for Abbas, as the Palestinian leader faces tough pressure from militant groups to show that peace talks, instead of armed struggle, can work. Making a positive gesture, Israeli forces on Wednesday transferred the West Bank city of Jericho to the Palestinian security.
According to the final statement, the Palestinian factions also made progress on some internal issues, the other major part of this round of dialogue.
"We agreed on completing comprehensive reforms in all sectors, supporting the democratic process with its different aspects and holding local and parliamentary elections as scheduled according to the election law," the final statement said.
The Palestinian factions also suggested the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) amend the election law with a view to endorsing the proportional representation system.
"We agreed on rendering effective the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) through the participation of all Palestinian factions in it."
"For that end, we agreed to set up a committee to set rules for that process. The proposed committee should be composed of the PLC speaker, members of the PLO executive committee, leaders of all factions and national and independent figures," the statement continued.
In addition, the Palestinian factions called for continuing dialogue in the next stage, saying it is a prerequisite to closing ranks and maintaining Palestinian legitimate rights.
(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2005)
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