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Efforts on to heal Palestinian rift

DAMASCUS: The Palestinian group Hamas has shown its reluctance to follow Egyptian mediation to reduce tensions with it rival Fatah by backing Yemen’s recent initiative to bring the two feuding groups together. The Yemeni plan envisages the formation of a Palestinian national unity government for a six month period, Al-jazeera television reported. This government, while in office, will organise parliamentary and presidential elections. The plan, which follows the ceasefire in Gaza after the 22-day conflict, calls for revamping the Palestinian security apparatus. Analysts say Hamas feels the Palestinian security forces have been infiltrated by foreign influences, and therefore need an effective overhaul.

Syria and Turkey back the Yemeni initiative, while Egypt has not opposed it so far. Syria took the lead in organising the Doha summit on Gaza during the course of the war, initiating a visible political realignment within the Arab camp. Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz did not attend that meeting, whereas Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Turkish representatives were present in Qatar. Hamas is likely to send in the next few days, a team to Saan’a to discuss details of the Yemeni proposal. “We welcome the Yemeni initiative for inter-Palestinian dialogue, as we do those from any Arab country — provided they recognise the resistance [to Israeli occupation],” Hamas spokesman, Mishir Al-Masri said.

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