Khan Younis-Ma’an-Well-informed Palestinian sources have told the Ma’an correspondent that Palestinian political factions have reached agreement on the Prisoners’ Accord Document. All the political factions, including the Hamas movement, have overcome their differences and made the necessary modifications to the document, thus ensuring the success of the Palestinian National Dialogue.
This agreement was arrived at during a time of intense pressure on the Palestinian people both as a result of the international blockade and as a result of the ongoing Israeli atrocities on Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.
The sources said that the final agreement will be announced in a public session of the National Dialogue which Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh will both attend. Representatives of the Palestinian Islamic and nationalist political factions will also attend the session. This session will be held once all the political factions agree on the manner in which they want to make the announcement of the agreement.
The sources clarified that there was agreement that Palestinians negotiate with Israel, and that negotiations will be the responsibility of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and President Mahmoud Abbas. Any decisions and agreements have to be presented to the new Palestinian National Council that will be formed.
A referendum will be held on any possible item of agreement, whether for an interim or final status agreement, between Palestinians and Israelis, and will include Palestinians inside the Occupied Territories and in the diaspora. This referendum will be subjected to a law that will be drawn up prior to the need for a referendum.
Regarding the right to resist the Occupation, it was agreed to concentrate Palestinian resistance to the Israeli Occupation to within the 1967 borders of Palestine. However, this does not mean that there will be a total renunciation of resistance in any part of Palestinian land.
It was agreed to reform the PLO in line with the 2005 Cairo Agreement and this will enable the Hamas and Islamic Jihad Movements to join the PLO. At the same time, this agreement supports the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government and will encourage the participation of any political faction that wants to participate in it.
Sources close to the Hamas Movement say that the agreement is viewed as a major accomplishment especially since the agreement does not surrender any Palestinian national rights. Moreover, Palestinians have to have a unified national program to be able to jointly withstand Olmert’s unilateral plan that aims to seriously undermine and diminish Palestinian national rights.
