Members of the Palestinian Authority and Damascus-based representatives of Hamas movement will meet next week in Cairo to discuss "tactics against Israel", a senior Hamas official said.
Moussa Abu Marzouk, a member of the Hamas political bureau, told reporters that the Palestinian Authority had called the session, which would be held under Egypt's sponsorship.
According to AP, he said the meeting, expected to start Tuesday, would aim basically at uniting the Palestinian people and solving problems between the two factions.
Asked whether his group would agree to a likely demand by the Palestinian Authority to halt suicide attacks against the Israelis, Abu Marzouk said he hoped such a demand would not be raised.
"In my opinion, the basic issue which should be discussed is the unity of the Palestinian people in order to resist occupation," he said, adding that the Palestinian uprising against occupation would persist.
He said that no Hamas officials from inside the Palestinian territories would participate in the meeting, noting that he or Khaled Mashaal, head of the Hamas politburo, would head the group's delegation.
Talking to Albawaba.com, Hamas leader in Gaza Strip, Dr. Abdul Aziz al Rantisi welcomed the agreemnet to hold the meetings. He added that the talks would be held in Cairo due to the efforts made by the Egyptian side to make them succesful. In addition, he explained that Hamas leaders from Gaza Strip would not attend due to the Israeli travel bans on them.
In Cairo, Palestinian officials said leaders from both sides will focus on "the need for all Palestinian factions to comply with the cease-fire" declared by Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
