Hamas Haneya ready to quit, if his resignation helps achieve reconciliation deal

Deposed Prime Minister of Hamas government in Gaza Ismail Haneya stated on Monday that he is ready to leave his post if this would help in reaching an inter-reconciliation agreement with rival President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party in Cairo on July 28.

Haneya told the official governmental pro-Hamas newspaper al-Ra'ei in an interview published on Monday that the Palestinian people had elected him and designated him as prime minister over the past three years "to achieve their national interests and keeptheir legitimate rights."

Right after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007and routed the pro-Abbas security forces, the Palestinian National Authority chairman deposed in an official decree Haneya and his national unity government, which was formed after the two rival groups reached an agreement in Mecca in February 2007.

Haneya and Hamas movement rejected Abbas's decree and considered his decree to form a caretaker government headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad illegal. Haneya continued running his post as prime minister, and enlarged his Gaza government with moreHamas ministers.

Asked if he will be clinging to the Prime Minister post whatever reconciliation agreement is reached, Haneya replied "we consider this post as an assignment, I won't be one day an obstacle before reaching any reconciliation agreement."

Rival Haneya and Abbas movements still face difficulties in overcoming their differences related to security, government and electoral system, in order to reach an agreement that ends more than two years of political rifts between Gaza and the West Bank.

Egypt has been mediating between the two groups to help them reach an agreement as soon as possible. Egypt informed the two rivals that they have to eliminate their differences before coming to Cairo on July 25 to hold the last round of talks which should end up with an agreement to be signed on July 28.

Meanwhile, a senior Islamic Hamas leader in Gaza announced on Monday that a meeting with the representatives of rival President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party is expected to be held in Cairo on July 18.

"The meeting between Hamas and Fatah leaders in Cairo is scheduled to evaluate the outcomes of the senior Egyptian delegation's contacts held with Palestinian leaders on the weekend," said Ismail Radwan in a press statement.

A high-ranking Egyptian delegation, headed by Gen. Mohamed Ibrahim, an aide to Egypt's intelligence chief, went back to Cairoon Sunday after holding three-day talks and meetings with various political representatives.

"In the meeting to be held in Cairo on July 18, we will tackle all the unresolved outstanding issues that obstruct reaching a reconciliation agreement, in particular, the political prisoners issue," said Radwan.

He noted that the July 18 meeting "will be an evaluation meeting and preparation for positive atmosphere for the upcoming round of dialogue due in Cairo on July 25."

"One of the major obstacles that obstruct a reconciliation deal is the continuation of arrests against Hamas members in the West Bank and the security coordination with Israel," Radwan said.

Khalil al-Hayya, a top Hamas leader in Gaza, said his movement had expressed great flexibility during the previous rounds of dialogue, adding "the only thing remained between us and Fatah movement is to hear from them that they accept reaching an agreement."

"We are really eager to reach a real final result that will end the rift and sign a reconciliation agreement to be able to challenge the Israeli occupation policy. We really don't regret for the flexibility we had shown before," said al-Hayya, who accused Fatah that "it doesn't have the desire to reconcile."

However, a senior official in Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO), who spoke on condition of anonymity, told a local Gaza-based news website that Abbas is studying the idea of asking the Egyptian mediators to postpone the upcoming round of inter-dialogue with Hamas movement until August.

Abbas is to hold talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman during the Non-aligned Movement summit that will be held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday.

"Abu Mazen (Abbas) will discuss with the Egyptian leaders the possibility of postponing the upcoming seventh round of inter-dialogue due in Cairo on July 25 until August," said the PLO official.

The official said the reason Abbas will ask to postpone the seventh round of dialogue "is that Fatah movement will be busy in holding its sixth General Assembly due to be held in Bethlehem in the West Bank on August 4."