'Riyadh wants Abbas to meet Mashaal'

Saudi Arabia was putting its weight behind intra-Palestinian reconciliation, and is working to bring Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to meet with Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal in Syria, Channel 2 reported Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, Mashaal on Saturday met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and the two agreed about the "tragic" situation of the Palestinians, as well as the urgent need to reconcile Hamas with the Palestinian Authority, dominated by Fatah.

Assad told Mashaal Syria would make any effort to bring about Palestinian reconciliation. He stressed to Mashaal that this would be the only way for the Palestinians to restore their "rights."

According to a Syrian news agency Mashaal expressed his gratitude to Assad over his efforts. He met Assad only days after returning from Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia and Syria have had stressed relations for several years and the courting of Mashaal by Syria just days after his return from the peninsula can be seen as a competition over the coveted honor of bringing Fatah and Hamas to reconciliation - a mission in which Egypt, Qatar and Yemen have so far failed.

Meanwhile back in the Gaza Strip, Channel 10 quoted unnamed Hamas sources as saying they managed to smuggle into Gaza weapons that would tip the balance of power between Israel and Hamas.

The report, which The Jerusalem Post could not confirm, comes after several days of intermittent rocket and mortar shell fire entering Israel, some of it fired by groups not affiliated with Hamas.

Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip told the TV station that they felt an increase in IDF activity in the Strip and feared a new Israeli incursion into Gaza was in the offing.

Source: Jerusalem Post.
Link: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1262339436535&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull.