By Xinhua,
Gaza : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement on Thursday welcomed any Arab efforts to end differences with rival Hamas Islamists.
“The leadership and Fatah movement welcome any Arabic bid to end this abnormal and dangerous phenomenon which is the coup and separation in the Gaza Strip, Fatah spokesman Ahmed Abdel Rahman said, referring to Hamas’ violent takeover of Gaza Strip last June.
Rahman made his remarks as he implicitly criticized Iran’s support of Hamas. The support was expressed during a recent visit by Hamas’ politburo chief Khaled Mashaal to Tehran.
“We were hoping the President of that country (Iran) will urge Mashaal to go and reunite with his brothers in the Palestinian people and explain to him that this division only helps Israel,” said Rahman, “but we heard him (Iranian president) encouraging the state of coup and separation.”
Rahman hopes to have “Arabic thought in parallel to this (Iranian) pressure which is against the welfare of the Arabs.”
President Abbas, who permanently moved to the West Bank after his forces lost Gaza, bans any contact with Hamas unless it gives up its control on the coastal Strip.