Palestinian Reconciliation Agreement to be Signed on 28 July

02/07/2009 By Salaah jum'ah
http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=17279

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat- An authoritative Egyptian source has asserted that
the secretaries general of the various Palestinian organizations will sign a
Palestinian reconciliation agreement on 28 July in Cairo immediately after
the next Palestinian dialogue round which will be held in Cairo on 25 July
and last three days.

The source added that the intensive three-day meetings between the Fatah and
Hamas movements which ended in Cairo yesterday under Egyptian sponsorship
discussed all the pending issues since the previous rounds and also the
problem of the detainees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It said these
intensive Fatah-Hamas talks reached agreement on the following issues:

1. To form a joint security force in the Gaza Strip that starts its work
immediately after the signing of the reconciliation agreement.

2. To form a joint committee from all the factions to coordinate and
supervise the implementation of the reconciliation agreement. The committee
has specific tasks and starts its work following the signing of the
agreement and ends it immediately after holding the presidential and
legislative elections.

3. To define general principles for solving the problem of the detainees
from the Fatah and Hamas movements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip so as to
help prepare the atmospheres for achieving the reconciliation and accord.

The authoritative source went on to say that in light of the fact that total
agreement over the contentious issues needs more time, it was decided to
extend the dialogue another period of time in order to continue
consultations about some remaining details. It added that in order to keep
the momentum, action in the coming stage will be as follows:

First: The committees stemming from the dialogue to be invited to Cairo
during the coming days so as to draft the agreements reached during these
committees' work.

Second: Egypt to continue its consultations with all the Palestinian
factions and forces during the coming period.

Third: The reconciliation committees that started in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip on 14 June under Egyptian sponsorship to continue their work in order
to draw up practical solutions for ending the detainees' issue.

Fourth: Setting the date of 25 July for the resumption of the dialogue in
Cairo after which the Palestinian organizations' secretaries general will be
invited to sign the reconciliation agreement on 28 July.

The authoritative source stressed that out of the Egyptian political
leadership's concern to end the Palestinian division, the exerted Egyptian
efforts would continue until the reconciliation agreement is signed in
support of the Palestinian people and their just cause. It asserted that
Egypt is confident that the responsibility on the Palestinian organizations'
shoulders will in the end require them to end the division and restore the
homeland's unity.