Haniyeh welcomes mediation

Source: alalam.ir, 9-8-2007
GAZA -Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has welcomed any Arab, Islamic or international mediation to help resolve the lingering dispute between Hamas and Fatah.
Talking to Alalam, Haniyeh however rejected again Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas` pre-condition that the resistance movement returns Gaza to his authority before settling down for dialogue.
"Issues which have been cited as pre-conditions for dialogue, especially those related to the security apparatus, are the same as the subject and file of dialogue," Haniyeh said.
Abbas demands that Palestinian Authority security agencies overrun by Hamas in Gaza in June be returned to Fatah.
But Haniyeh said a new security apparatus must be set up "in accordance with professional and national regulations and (in line with) the formation of a central Palestinian government for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank".
"Therefore, I not only consider the pre-condition in this regard as imprudent but I believe that setting pre-conditions will create big obstacles on the path of dialogue," he added.
Abbas fired Haniya and the rest of a unity cabinet after the movement`s takeover of Gaza. Hamas has refused to recognize the move and Haniyeh still considers himself the legitimate Palestinian premier.
The deposed Palestinian prime minister said that in addition to Arab and Islamic countries, a group of Palestinian residents of occupied territories were trying to mediate in the standoff.
"This group has met and conferred with the head of the self-rule authority (Abbas) and will arrive in Gaza as soon as ‘Israel' issues a permit, which we welcome," Haniyeh said.