AL welcomes Palestinian deal on unity government

The Cairo-based Arab League (AL) Friday expressed its welcome to the Mecca agreement signed between the mainstream Palestinian factions of Fatah and Hamas on Thursday, saying that it would end the political tensions in the territories.

In a statement, AL Secretary General Amr Moussa said he is confident that the Fatah-Hamas agreement on forming a Palestinian national unity government will help in re-focusing on the main cause to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Hailing the role of Saudi Arabia which hosted the talks in Mecca, Moussa urged the Quartet, which groups the UN, the EU, the United States and Russia, to consider steps taken to re-arrange the Palestinian issue.

The AL chief, meanwhile, called for lifting the blockade imposed on the Palestinians and an immediate resuming of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, saying the UN Security Council and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon should follow up all steps taken to revive the peace process.

The Mecca agreement consists of four major points. The first is a prohibition of shedding the Palestinian blood (ending all kinds of fighting) and the second is formation of a national unity government.

The third and fourth points in the agreement are related to the formation of Palestine Liberation Organization and also manifesting the political partnership among all Palestinian powers and factions.

Source: Xinhua