Egypt urged unity on Tuesday, trying to strengthen Mahmoud Abbas' hand as the Palestinian leader began a tough sell of a one-year cease-fire with Israel at the start of talks with leaders of militant Palestinian factions.
Already under pressure from Israel, Abbas has come to Cairo to convince the militant groups to declare and live by the 12-month truce, even though Israel says one year is not enough.
"The coming period requires all forces to work with more responsibility, and to behave with greater political consciousness," said Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as the meetings began.
Leaders from 13 factions sat around a table as Abbas addressed the group, telling them that fewer militant attacks has eased the Palestinians' everyday plight.
"There is no alternative but for dialogue between us now," he said.
The talks were expected to last several days. The faction leaders say they're not interested in agreeing to a cease-fire unless Abbas can secure their demands from Israel -- including Palestinian prisoner release, an end to military incursions into Palestinian towns and a halt to the "targeted killing" of wanted militants.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon already has cast doubt on the truce effort, saying it is no solution unless the factions give up "the terrorism option" entirely. His foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, said the peace process could be damaged further unless more is achieved.
"Just an understanding is not enough because it will allow the terrorist organizations to rebuild," Shalom told reporters in Jerusalem on Tuesday. "An easing off is not a cease-fire and it can bring the destruction of the peace process."
But Abbas also accused Israel of not fulfilling the commitments it undertook at the recent summit in Sharm el Sheik.
"The situation on the ground went on unchanged, with the continuation of the settlement activities, building of the racist separation wall, and the continuation of the siege and closures and checkpoints," Abbas said. "We stress that we will never accept the implementation of commitments from one side and ... we call on Israel to implement its commitments."
The talks -- the fourth attempt to unite and quiet Palestinian militancy since the uprising started anew four years ago -- were opening in a climate seen as more conducive for a breakthrough in the stalled Arab-Israeli peace process than in the past.
"The challenges that Palestinian society faces are great and numerous, and require that differences be put aside and that a clear agreement be reached on the elements of Palestinian action in the coming period," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said at the outset of the meetings.
Egyptian officials close to the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Egypt is also pushing the idea of a broader one-year truce as well as participation by militant groups in Abbas' Palestinian Authority.
Hamas, which had boycotted elections for the past decade, announced over the weekend it is competing in the July 17 vote for the Palestinian legislative council, a major challenge to Abbas' Fatah movement.
However, Hamas leader Mohammed Nazzal said although they will participate in the legislature, they will not have any part in Abbas' administration.
Abu Imad al-Rifaei, an Islamic Jihad delegate to the talks, said his group would not participate in the election.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
RSS