Hamas: Egypt offers new proposal for reconciliation pact (Roundup)

Oct 10, 2009, 15:10 GMT

   Gaza/Cairo - Egypt offered a new proposal for Hamas after the Palestinian movement refused to sign a reconciliation pact with rival movement Fatah following the results of a UN report on Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip, the group said in a statement.

   Without giving details about the new proposal, Gaza-based Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Egyptian officials presented the proposal to a high-ranking Hamas delegation in Cairo.

'Egypt handed Hamas delegation the new proposal that overcomes the dispute over the scheduled date for signing the reconciliation deal,' said Barhoum, adding that 'Hamas would give Egypt its answer soon after studying the proposal.'

Barhoum's statement came after a delegation headed by Hamas politburo deputy chief, Moussa Abu Marzooq, met with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman to set up a new date for signing a Palestinian reconciliation pact.

   On Wednesday, Hamas asked Cairo to postpone the signing of a pact with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, two days after Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit announced that an agreement between the two feuding Palestinian factions was to be signed in Cairo on October 25.

Hamas said no deal would be cemented until Abbas apologized for agreeing to delay a debate on the United Nation's report, authored by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, which says that Israel as well as Hamas committed war crimes during the December-January Israeli offensive on the enclave.

   'The Egyptian side understood Hamas request to postpone the signing of the reconciliation agreement, therefore they presented a new proposal to overcome this obstacle,' senior Hamas member in Gaza Salah el-Bardawil told reporters.

   He added that the movement's delegation, which is scheduled to return to Damascus later on Saturday night, promised to study the Egyptian proposal and bring an answer back within the coming few days.

   Meanwhile, senior West Bank Fatah leader Azzam al-Ahmed told reporters on Saturday that Fatah is waiting for a final official response from Egypt on setting a date to sign the reconciliation agreement.

   Hamas and its secular rival Fatah have been at odds since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, and ousted security forces of Fatah group.

   Egyptian intelligence officials have been trying to broker an agreement between Hamas and Fatah, which controls Palestinian- administered areas of the West Bank.