Local Palestinian media, observers and analysts have been talking a lot over the past a few weeks about the inter-Palestinian national dialogue due to be launched in Cairo most probably in November, amid mixed expectations on whether this dialogue would succeed or not.
While, the official websites of rival Fatah and Hamas movements have been recently exchanging accusations that each side leaders' statements don't clearly show that they are interested or serious in succeeding this dialogue.
The last time, leaders of both movements went for intensive dialogue was last summer, just a few days before Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip by force on June 14, last year. Consequently their dialogue had collapsed, and the two sides have never met again.
The cold war between the two sides continued, in spite of several Arab initiatives, especially the Yemeni one for reconciliations. But finally Egypt has adopted a full mediation to bring the parties back again to the table and resolve their disputes through dialogue.
Through September, Egypt has been holding bilateral talks with each of the 12 Palestinian factions, including the two rival groups. A Hamas delegation is due to be in Cairo on Tuesday for bilateral talks that will start on Wednesday.
The Egyptians said that the aim of the bilateral talks with each faction, separately, is to understand their views concerning the dialogue and ending the internal crisis and political split.
After the meeting with Hamas delegation on Wednesday, which is to be the last one, Egypt would prepare a document that includes all the agreed upon views that Egyptian negotiators received from each faction.
Wafiq Zindah, a Palestinian political analyst from Gaza said that the coming few hours "are historic, decisive and so crucial. All depends on Hamas, and on whether its leaders are ready for making concessions and achieve a national reconciliation that ends the political split between Gaza and the West Bank."
Several statements had been recently made by the Hamas leaders, some said that they want to go for a comprehensive dialogue with extended hands and opened hearts, but at the same time they expressed reservations on certain points that were presented by the Egyptian side.
Some other Hamas leaders expressed fear that the dialogue in Cairo aims at exerting more pressure on the Islamic movement to end its control of Gaza and end its legislative term which would legally end in January 2010.
Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman of the Hamas movement in Gaza said "if those who are sponsoring the dialogue, aims at pushing Hamas movement to the corner, are completely mistaken. Hamas is going to dialogue to present its views and hear about others views, but will insist on its legal right of ruling."
Zindah said that "all the parties, which are going to the dialogue in Cairo, mainly Fatah and Hamas, should avoid presenting doubts and making statements aim at ending up this dialogue with failure."
However, senior Hamas leader and member of Hamas delegation to the dialogue in Cairo Khalil el-Hayya said in Gaza before he left to Cairo that forming a delegation that includes leaders from Gaza, West Bank and abroad "is an evidence that Hamas wants seriously to succeed the dialogue."
Earlier reports published in a Saudi Arabia daily said that Egypt is intending to present a document that consists of 14 articles, adding that Hamas rejected three articles and accepted the rest of the document.
"All the files of the Palestinian issue need a deep discussion in order to come up with a full package agreement that includes all issues, mainly the political partnership, reforming the security apparatuses and forming a national accordance government," said el-Hayya.
However, chief of Fatah delegation to the dialogue in Cairo Mabil Shaath has earlier warned that if the dialogue fails in Cairo, the Arab League would announce who will be responsible for the dialogue's failure. Shaath assured that Fatah movement accepts all the presented initiatives and documents without any reservations.
Zindah asserted that "this is the last chance of dialogue for reconciliation and ending the current Palestinian split between Hamas, which rules Gaza and Fatah that rules the West Bank."
"The parties avoid all their ideological difference and put them aside and go to the dialogue putting in their consideration the highest national interests of their people," said Zindah, warning that the failure of the dialogue would lead to a real serious historic disaster.
(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2008)
