A Hamas leader Tuesday said its delegation to Cairo has "thwarted a plan to make troubles between Hamas, Egypt and the Arab League."
"Egypt and Hamas have surprised everyone when they announced they reached an agreement, unlike what others have said that Egyptwas driving Hamas to the guillotine," said Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas leader based in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas accepted most of an Egyptian proposal for settling a 19-month-old standoff with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.
Egypt drafted the plan after talks with 12 Palestinian factions. Hamas, the last faction to meet the Egyptians last week, was concerned that the proposal might be inspired from pro-Fatah factions and that Hamas will face Egyptian and Arab boycott if rejects it.
"Those who think the Arab League will isolate Hamas are wrong because it can't made such a decision without the acceptance of all Arab countries," Zahar said, adding that "several Arab states have reservations" on such move.
"This progress and agreement has been reached due to coordination and contacts between Hamas and Cairo in recent weeks," Zahar said.
The Egyptian plan is designated to launch a national Palestinian dialogue ending the split widened following Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza last year.
The deadly fighting in Gaza has resulted in a political separation of Gaza and the West Bank where Abbas and his Fatah are dominant.
Zahar said the Egyptian plan envisions the formation of a new Palestinian government that Hamas and Fatah agree on and settling all other controversial issues, such as elections and the reform of security services, through committees.
Source: Xinhua
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