Hamas: Meshaal will head Cairo delegation for reconciliation talks

Gaza City/Cairo (Earth Times - dpa) - Khaled Meshaal, the Syrian-based leader of the Hamas movement, is due to head a delegation to Cairo on Sunday to give a "final response" to Cairo's proposals for Palestinian reconciliation, a spokesman for the movement has said. Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said Thursday that Meshaal would be present in Cairo with other Hamas members from the Gaza Strip, in an effort to reach agreement on inter-Palestinian elections, security issues, and a reconciliation pact.

Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction fell out in 2007 after Hamas won Palestinian elections the previous year. Egypt has been attempting to mediate between the two sides since then.

In August Egypt presented its proposal on how the two sides might reconcile, which has been accepted by Fatah, but so far no response from Hamas - which rules the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt - has come.

A new round of comprehensive dialogue is expected to start in Cairo in October.

Meanwhile, in Thursday's statement Barhoum slammed Abbas' meeting with US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting.

"Abbas' presidential term has been over since January 25, 2009, so he is illegal and he doesn't represent all the Palestinian people. Therefore, he is not authorized to speak on behalf of our people," Barhoum said.