Hamas, Fatah reconciliation talks begin in Qatar

Hamas will partake in reconciliation talks with Fatah in Doha, Qatar, but said it expects the talks to be “inconclusive”, the movement’s spokesperson revealed yesterday.

Husam Badran said Qatar initiated the mediation and called for the meeting. “We welcome any efforts exerted by Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or Turkey which lead to ending the [internal Palestinian] division,” he said. “I guess that this meeting will be inconclusive,” he said, adding that he hoped this would not be the case.

“We are going to the meeting with an open heart and we will be the most serious to achieve the reconciliation this time,” he said, noting that ending the division allows the Palestinian issue to regain importance and makes it stronger in its fight against Israeli Judaisation projects.

An informed source told the Anadolu Agency that a Hamas delegation is leaving the Gaza Strip today through the Rafah Crossing, heading for Doha.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the delegation is to include senior Hamas leaders Mahmoud Al-Zahar, Khalil Al-Hayya and Nizar Awadallah.

Related:

• The ten obstacles hindering Palestinian Reconciliation.