The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, has met with a delegation of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, led by Political Bureau chief Khaled Meshaal. The meeting took place in Abu Dhabi on Monday 11 January.
Ezzat El-Rashq, a member of Hamas’ Political Bureau, said that the discussion with Sheikh Al-Nahyan covered the ongoing challenges facing the Palestinians, including the Israelis’ colonial-settlement policy, the blockade of Gaza, the Judaisation of Jerusalem and attempts to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque along the lines of what happened to the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. He added, “We talked about the issue of national reconciliation and the obstacles in its way. Hamas expressed its position and its aims to end the split.”
According to Mr. El-Rashq, the UAE President focused on the importance of speeding up the reconciliation process and reuniting the Palestinian factions. In announcing his support for the reconciliation efforts, Sheikh Al-Nahyan added that they should be “a Palestinian and Arab priority”.
The meeting was attended by Hamas Political Bureau members Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, Ezzat El Rashq and Sami Khater as well as Khaled Meshaal.
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