Egyptian media sources reported that Cairo informed the authorities in Libya that it objects to the participation of the Hamas movement in the upcoming Arab Summit March 27 in Tripoli. The “Egyptians” Newspaper reported Wednesday that Egypt informed the Libyan authorities that it totally objects to sending an invitation to Hamas leaders, in Palestine and in exile, to participate in the summit.
The “Egyptians” added that Cairo confirmed to Tripoli that this summit is for “governments and political regimes”, and not for resistance factions.
Egypt also warned that should Hamas participate in the summit, it would use the meetings for political gains, and “for obstructing reconciliation”, according to the paper.
Earlier in January, an Egyptian soldier was shot dead during confrontations between hundreds of Palestinian protestors and Egyptian border policemen in the Rafah area.
Egypt accuses Hamas gunmen for killing the soldier, while the movement said that Egyptian border policemen opened fire at Palestinian protestors, and that the soldier was killed by friendly fire.
On Tuesday, a senior diplomatic source in Libya stated that the country does not intend to invite Khalid Mashaal, head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, or the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Arab League head, Amro Mousa, told a number of Arab leaders that invitations to the summit would only, and without exceptions, be sent to head of Arab countries.
Last Saturday, Qatar-based al-Jazeera reported that Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said that he would boycott the summit should Mashaal attend it.
According to the report, Abbas informed Egypt, Libya, Jordan and Saudi Arabia that he opposes to meet Mashal and other senior Hamas leaders before the movement signed the National Reconciliation Document mediated by Cairo.
The position of Hamas is that it cannot sign the document as it is, especially after the movement submitted its reservations to Egypt but Egypt, according to Hamas, did not conduct any modifications on the document.
