Abbas closes ranks with Hamas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, has endorsed the demands of Hamas to the negotiating table with Israel to the offensive against the Gaza Strip. This morning, in a meeting with the highest decision-making body, Abbas has chosen to support Hamas conditions to reach a ceasefire, the key point is the end of the blockade imposed on Gaza since Hamas took over the power in 2007.

This closing of ranks is a significant novelty with respect to the position of Palestinian President in the last major Israeli operation, Defensive Pilar, in November 2012, when his mediating role was minor and was not as emphatic in demanding the annulment of this fence. Now he knows that Hamas will not want to give back to the previous status quo to this crisis, need to give this guarantee to drag it to the negotiating table and also is a gesture that shows his commitment to his new partner, who last April 23 signed a peace treaty after seven years of wrangling, opening the door to a unity government still takes his first steps in the middle of the pumps.

The Liberation Organization (PLO) issued a statement that clearly set this support for Hamas. ” Their demands to end the aggression [ by Israel ] and the blockade lifted in all its forms are the demands of the entire Palestinian people,” noted Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of its executive committee. He also spoke of his ” confidence” that Gaza “is not broken” with support ” by all means ” the rest of the Palestinians.

This Hamas endorsement has transcended words and has caught an alternative proposal for a ceasefire by the Palestinian administration, which is now in the hands of the Egyptian government’s main dispute between the parties. This plan proposes a total and immediate cessation of hostilities by Israel and Hamas and the opening of a five-day period of negotiations, confirmed a spokesman for Fatah, Azzam Al Ahmed, from Egypt, Reuters reports. Cairo had already proposed something similar, with less time for discussion (two days), Israel and Hamas not complied. For Islamists is key to their demands on the lock is granted before stop shooting. That is, sources confirmed negotiations to overcome the most difficult point. With the push of Abbas, however, they may feel safer and give: go to the table without conditions previously granted.

Abbas unifies the Palestinian struggle after a few days of diplomatic round for Egypt, Turkey and the Persian Gulf that was costing a popular wear, to understand that his was a soft stance on “resistance” of Hamas and the death of civilians.  “His calculations just want to save lives,” said a Palestinian source. U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, trust the president and his support may help to bring the positions of Hamas in the West.

Kerry precisely landed around 11 am  in Tel Aviv. He has already traveled to Jerusalem, where he has been with the secretary general of the UN, Ban Ki Moon, an appointment in which he acknowledged that ” there have been some steps forward ” in negotiations but remains ” work to do “. Kerry will meet early in the afternoon with Abbas in the Muqata in Ramallah and then, with the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv. The new Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom, Philip Hammond, will also round leaders in the field.

The West Bank that Kerry will go through in a few minutes is heated, after a night and a morning of demonstrations against Israel’s attack on Gaza. The unrest has been concentrated in the north of Bethlehem and Ramallah, which took place this afternoon march that has clustered around 3,000 people. In Husan, a village in the district of Bethlehem, a 32 year old man was killed by a shot in the chest by Israeli forces, reports the Palestinian government. Involved in a clash between young and uniformed which indicates a military spokesman, threw molotov cocktails. It is the second in three days died in protests in the West Bank. There have also been dozens of arrests last night in East Jerusalem.

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Posted by Maleeha Tareen on Jul 23 2014. Filed under Latest News, Middle East. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.