Member of the Political Bureau of the Hamas Movement, Izzat Al Rishiq, stated that the movement has agreed to the Arab offer to host and mediate Palestinian reconciliation and national unity talks.Al Rishiq said that the state that is willing to host the talks must first present the offer to President Mahmoud Abbas of the rival Fateh movement.
The Hamas official did not name a certain Arab state that would be the host of unity talks.
Al Rishiq added that Hamas never stopped seeking unity, and is interested in achieving a unity and reconciliation in order to end the current situation.
He further said that unity is needed in order to reach an agreement on a national strategy to counter the Israeli occupation.
The agreement, he added, must include an agenda to ensure resistance and survival, and an agenda that would end the security coordination between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Israel.
The Hamas official said that all political prisoners must be freed, and reiterated the necessity of holding elections for the Palestinian National Council, the Palestinian Legislative Council and presidential elections without any external pressures.
He added that Abbas and his movement only showed interest in forming a new government run by independent figures, but did not show interest in an agenda for a comprehensive national salvation.
The Hamas leader said that Abbas is ongoing with his accusations against the Hamas movement, especially in his recent statements to the AFP in which he, according to Al Rishiq, launched a slander campaign against Hamas.
