Fatah, Hamas agree to meet in Damascus next week

GAZA/RAMALLAH, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement and its rival Fatah party said Monday that they agreed to hold their second round of reconciliation meeting in Syria's capital of Damascus next week.

Ayman Taha, Gaza-based Hamas spokesman told Xinhua on telephone that the two movements agreed to hold their meeting over finalizing reconciliation in Damascus on Nov. 9.

The meeting will be attended by two delegations of the two movements, and it will include experts in security affairs, he said, adding that Hamas representatives from Gaza may also join the meeting.

Meanwhile, chief of Fatah delegation Azzam al-Ahmad has confirmed that the two movements agreed on holding their meeting over reconciliation in Damascus on Nov. 9, according to the Palestinian state-run news agency "Wafa".

Leaders of the two groups held their first meeting of reconciliation in Oct. 24 in Damascus, but it was postponed following political disputes between Syria and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

Wafa quoted al-Ahmad as saying that the meeting will be held in Damascus after all disputes between Syrian President Bashar al- Assad and PNA President Mahmoud Abbas were resolved.

"There were indirect contacts held between Fatah and the Syrian leadership, where both had reiterated on their concerns to deepen the ties between them and removing all obstacles that would obstruct coordination between them," al-Ahmad said.

He stressed that the upcoming meeting in Damascus will focus basically on the security issue after the two issues, elections and reforming Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), were resolved during the last meeting.

Egypt postponed last year the inter-Palestinian dialogue after Hamas refused to sign on an Egyptian pact of reconciliation that aimed at ending the internal Palestinian rift. Hamas said it has reservations on some phrases that need to be amended.

However, Fatah and Hamas agreed to avoid a conflict with Egypt by reaching an internal Palestinian document of understanding that considers Hamas reservations and then head to Cairo to sign on the Egyptian pact.