Official: No imminent Fatah-Hamas meetings in Cairo

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement denied on Saturday reports about imminent meetings between ruling Hamas and rival Fatah leaders in Cairo.

Fatah spokesman Ahmed Abdel Rahman said in an interview with Voice of Palestine radio that there would be no such meetings in Cairo since the Egyptian government was focusing its efforts on a prisoner swap deal involving an Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza since June and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.

Earlier news reports had said Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal, who is based in Damascus, would head for Cairo for a meeting with Fatah leaders soon.

Calling on Hamas to comply with the Egyptian moves, Abdel Rahman said the Egyptian-backed prisoner swap deal, if happened, was likely "to defuse tensions and help easing Israel's brutal military pressure in Gaza Strip."

Following the capture of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit on June 25, Israel unleashed its biggest military offensive into Gaza Strip since its major withdrawal from Gaza last year.

Meanwhile, Hamas and Fatah struck a deal on Saturday and agreed to end all kinds of escalation of confrontations after mediation efforts by the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

"I hope this would be the final agreement because every internal fighting flows only into Israel's interest," said Abdel Rahman.

Tension between Fatah and Hamas has mounted since talks on forming a unity government deadlocked due to Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel.

Source: Xinhua