Hamas, four factions agree to launch dialogue immediately

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-17 15:18

GAZA -- Islamic Hamas movement and four Palestinian factions agreed in Gaza on Saturday to launch an internal dialogue immediately and welcomed the Egyptian and any Arab sponsorship of the dialogue.

Representatives of Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic Front, the People's Party and the Islamic Jihad held a meeting in Gaza on Saturday to discuss ways to resume the dialogue.

The five factions said in a joint statement sent to reporters that they welcome the resumption of the inter-Palestinian dialogue immediately and welcomed the Egyptian or any Arab sponsorship of the dialogue.

The statement said that the representatives of the five factions agreed to launch the dialogue relying on the previous national agreements and the document of the national accordance.

The five factions agreed to end the status of split between Gaza and the West Bank by forming a Palestinian government of national accordance and build up the security apparatuses based on professional and national rules.

The statement also agreed to activate the Palestinian Parliament, better known as the Palestinian Legislative Council ( PLC), rebuild the institutions of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) by democratic elections.

The factions' representatives also agreed to carry out the preparatory steps that help in succeeding the dialogue "by first of all ending the mutual campaigns of incitement and releasing all the political prisoners of both sides."

The four mediating factions will soon hold another meeting with Fatah movement's leaders in Gaza to brief them on the results of their meeting with Hamas leaders.

Kayed el-Ghoul, a senior PFLP leader said that the meeting with Fatah leaders will be held on Monday in Gaza, adding that the five factions agreed to form a committee to follow up the dialogue between Fatah and Hamas.