New Scenario for Palestinian reconciliation should indirect negotiations fail

Arab diplomatic sources have disclosed a new scenario being prepared to deal with the Palestinian situation, particularly the issue of reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas in the event that indirect negotiations fail and current efforts toward reviving the political process flounder.

The Saudi newspaper, Okaz, quoted a source as saying that negotiations were underway between Cairo and Palestinian factions, particularly Fatah and Hamas, in this regard. It was confirmed that Egypt, which sponsors efforts toward Palestinian reconciliation, is currently awaiting the outcome of US efforts in the indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

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The source confirmed that should this process flounder and US efforts collapse due to “policies of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, as is expected by Cairo, it will call upon both Fatah and Hamas to consider new ideas to develop and nurture reconciliation and to work toward Palestinian unity as the sole response to Israel’s arrogance and the conceit of its government.”

It was stressed that “with the approach of the 4 month deadline established by the follow-up committee of the Arab Peace Initiative on July 2nd, Cairo will be obliged to move toward an urgent realisation of reconciliation in order to fill the gaps that allow the Netanyahu government to implement its settlement policies and to wager on the continuity of Palestinian divisions and rivalries.”