| November 4, 2018
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In need to maintain relevancy, Abbas meets Egypt’s el-Sisi to discuss ceasefire

Palestinian autocrat Mahmoud Abbas flew off to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh after news that Hamas may have secured an Egyptian orchestrated agreement to end ‘March of Return protests’ on Israel’s border, but without Abbas’ involvement.

By i24NEWS

 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met in Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday to discuss the “Palestinian issue” among other things, an official confirmed on Thursday.

Abbas arrived in the coastal resort city on the edge of the Red Sea on Friday to attend the World Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh amid ongoing attempts by Cairo to reconcile Hamas and Fatah.

The Spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic Ambassador Bassam Radi that the President Sisi stressed during the meeting continued Egypt in its efforts to support the Palestinian cause in accordance with the relevant international legitimacy.

“Arrangements are ongoing to hold a meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas and his brother President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about the latest developments in the Palestinian issue and matters of mutual interest,” Palestinian Ambassador to Cairo Diab al-Louh said in a statement.

He also emphasized the longstanding diplomatic ties between Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. Fatah, the party lead by Abbas, is one of several factions within the Palestinian Authority.

While attempting to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to stop the conflict in Gaza, Egypt has mediated between Fatah and Hamas who continue to argue over a number of matters, so far without success.

The relationship between Fatah and Hamas is at an all time low, with Abbas accusing the rulers of Gaza of sharing values with Israel, as well as leaving him out of the ceasefire negotiations.

Abbas has punished Hamas in a number of ways in the past year, such as withholding salaries to officials and reducing electricity going into Gaza.

He also blamed an assassination attempt of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Gaza in March on Hamas.

Hamas, on the other hand, accused senior Palestinian Authority (PA) security officials of orchestrating the attack to destabilize the coastal territory and that the men identified as the perpetrators of the bombing were agents controlled by PA intelligence.

“Investigations have shown that senior figures in the General Intelligence Service in Ramallah are the engine of subversive cells that are working to undermine security in the Gaza Strip,” spokesman Iyad Buzum told a press conference.

Hamas later called for elections, stating in a press release, “We are shocked by the tense stance that Abbas has taken. This position burns bridges and strengthens division and strikes the unity of our people.”

Since then, the friction between Hamas and Fatah has been ongoing, leaving Egypt with a difficult task trying to broker another reconciliation between the two opposing factions.

The last reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah was signed in 2017 but failed to be fully implemented.

 

View original i24NEWS publication at:
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/187793-181103-abbas-meets-with-egypt-s-al-sisi-to-discuss-palestinian-issue

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