Palestinian Legislator, Bassam Salhi, secretary-general of the
Palestinian People Party and head of the leftist Badeel Bloc at the
Legislative Council, said on Monday that the Palestinian President,
Mahmoud Abbas, will not head to Gaza for talks with the Palestinian
Prime Minister Ismail Haniyya from the Hamas party.
Abbas announced his position during a meeting for the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) on Tuesday. Heads of parliamentarian blocs participated in the meeting.
Salhi stated that no date was set for the new meeting adding that there is a real crisis standing in the way of forming a national unity government after the Hamas party withdrew its support for the national unity document.
Salhi added that Abbas must hold talks with all factions within a week to demand them for a clear stance on the national unity government.
“So far, there isn't any proposal for ending the current crisis”, Salhi stated, “the president will not hold further negotiations with Hamas, if this crisis continue, all factions must present their positions to the Palestinian people”.
Abbas was supposed to set out from Ramallah, in the northern part of the West Bank, to Gaza on Monday evening or Tuesday, but the current differences made it clear the there was no point in further meetings as long as the crisis remains solid.
Acording to the Israeli Ynetnews, sources close to Abbas said that he is weighing the possibility of dissolving the current government and the legislative council, and thus declaring a state of emergency before calling for new presidential and legislative elections.
Meanwhile, president's adviser, Nabil Abu Rodeina, said that Abbas will not be heading to Gaza any time soon since he is busy with several other issues.
A senior Palestinian official also said that Abbas believes that there is not point for going to Gaza after Hamas insisted that any agreement for a national unity government will not include recognizing Israel.
Yet, Haniyya said that he is still waiting for Abbas to return to Gaza and hold talks on a national unity government.
“The occupation refuses to withdrew to the 1967 borders, refuses to recognize the Right of Return of the refugees”, Haniyya said, “There are lots of challenges that urge us to unite”.
Palestinian Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Zahhar, said that Hamas did not set forth any conditions for the formation of the new government.
Head of the Hamas bloc at the Legislative Council, Mosheer Al Masry, said that the talks between Haniyya and Abbas will not go back to ground zero.
“All factions agreed on the national unity document”, Al Masry stated, “Any differences in opinions do not mean a failure”.
