Fighting threatens Palestinian statehood-Egypt
Source: Reuters
CAIRO, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called on Palestinians locked in a violent power struggle to lay aside their differences in the interests of achieving statehood, state news agency MENA said on Monday. Mubarak called on the heads of the Palestinian factions to agree a common position for the good of the Palestinian people, and to set aside other issues to allow peace negotiations with Israel to resume, according to MENA. "The continuation of Palestinian-Palestinian conflict will have a negative effect on the Palestinian cause and end Palestinians' hopes for establishing an independent state," MENA quoted Mubarak as saying. The governing Islamist Hamas group has been locked in a bitter conflict with secular Fatah, loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, since Hamas trounced Abbas's party in January 2006 parliamentary elections. Factional fighting has surged in Gaza and the occupied West Bank since Abbas challenged the ruling Hamas faction last month by calling for early parliamentary and presidential elections after talks on forming a unity government failed. Western governments want the moderate Abbas to triumph over Hamas, which the United States and Israel regard as a terrorist group. The administration of U.S. President George W. Bush will provide $86 million to strengthen security forces loyal to Abbas, according to documents seen by Reuters on Friday.
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |
