By Xinhua
Ramallah : A senior official in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement said Monday that his movement is not intending to join in current talks on a possible ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
Qadoura Fares, the Fatah official, told Voice of Palestine radio that Fatah as a movement is not participating in talks on a truce deal with Israel.
“But President Abbas encourages such an attitude that would lead to an end to violence,” said Fares.
The Jerusalem-based daily al-Quds revealed that Egypt is leading intensive mediation between Israel and the Palestinian militant groups, headed by Hamas movement, in order to achieve lull between the two sides.
The daily reported that Egypt is intending to present a full initiative after getting from the Europeans and Americans green light to achieve calm between Israel and the Palestinians.
“In case a truce deal were reached with Israel, Fatah movement would of course accept it. But we prefer that if a truce deal is reached, it has to be agreed in coordination with President Abbas, not with Hamas,” said Fares.
On the ground, since Thursday, Palestinian militant groups stopped rocket attacks at Israel, while Israel had stopped its military offensives of ground operations and airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
Both Hamas and Israeli leaders had earlier denied reaching a deal on a truce. Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan admitted that rocket attacks had stopped, but said an agreement hasn’t been reached yet.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak had also denied reports that a truce agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas, Israeli Radio reported.
It added that the Israeli military establishment was instructed by the political leadership to refrain from carrying out military operations against Gaza militant groups.
Between late February and early this month, the Israeli army launched a major military operation against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip during which some 123 Palestinians were killed and hundreds of others injured.