Fatah official slams Hamas in Cairo

An official from the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, Fatah, has criticised Hamas, saying that the resistance group did not announce its position on political reconciliation until it was accused of interfering in Egypt’s internal affairs. Azzam al-Ahmad made his remarks during a visit to Cairo to meet with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy and senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk.

Al-Ahmad said that Fatah denounces all interference in Egyptian affairs, whether by Hamas or any other Palestinian faction. He pointed out that Hamas denies the accusation but the movement’s practices “give out negative signals”.

“We are keen to stop these interventions,” he insisted. “When the reconciliation efforts resumed recently, we stressed to Hamas that it should act as a Palestinian national movement and stop interfering in Egypt’s internal affairs,” the Fatah Central Committee member said. He expressed his hope that Hamas is aware of this reality and will stop “interfering” and prevent its media outlets from doing likewise.

According to Al-Ahmad, he not only met Abu Marzouk in Cairo but has also had contact with Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in the Gaza Strip. He claimed that he was waiting for a response from Hamas, which needs more time to proceed with the reconciliation process. “The Gaza Strip and the Palestinian cause have no future if the division remains. We must seek all ways to end the split. The Palestinian leadership and Egypt coordinate non-stop about the situation in Gaza Strip,” he claimed.

A spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that Al-Ahmad and Foreign Minister Fahmy discussed the ongoing negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The minister gave his full support to the Palestinian position as well as to the reconciliation efforts and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. The Fatah official blamed Israeli “intransigence” and unwillingness to compromise for the impasse following the meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and US Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris recently.