Carter promises Haniyeh that he will support Palestinian reconciliation

Former US President Jimmy Carter has promised Ismail Haniyeh that he will lend his support to the Palestinian reconciliation agreement signed last week. Carter spoke with the elected prime minister on Monday when Haniyeh called to brief him on the details of the agreement. The prime minister made an official request for the Carter Centre for Peace to supervise the proposed Palestinian elections.

Haniyeh praised Carter for his efforts to end the Palestinian division and invited him to use his contacts in US and other Western circles to support the agreement. Mr Carter is reported to have welcomed the agreement and promised that his centre will participate in supervising the elections.

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, and a delegation representing the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Fatah last week signed a national reconciliation agreement putting an end to nearly seven years of damaging internal division.