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Roundup: Qatar mediates between Hamas, PNA to open Rafah crossing with Egypt

Xinhua, January 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

Qatar is mediating between Islamic Hamas movement and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on operating the closed key Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

Mohamed Amadi, the Qatari ambassador and head of the committee to reconstruct Gaza, arrived in the enclave late on Wednesday to discuss the crisis of Rafah crossing with the Palestinian government.

"I will discuss the question of operating Rafah crossing and other issues with Hamas movement's leadership in Gaza," Amadi told reporters, referring to an initiative presented by several Palestinian factions to both Hamas and the PNA government.

The Gaza Strip has been controlled by Hamas since 2007, when the Islamic movement violently seized control of the coastal enclave following weeks of internal fighting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces.

Efforts have so far failed to end the endless feuds between the two rivals.

Both Hamas leaders and Abbas have been trading accusations on who is responsible for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, mainly the closure of the crossings due to the internal Palestinian split.

Although the two rivals agreed in June 2014 to form a technocrat consensus government, they have kept trading accusations since then.

Hamas has agreed to hand over control on Gaza official ministries to the Palestinian government, but insisted in keeping security control on its hand.

On Wednesday, President Abbas accused Hamas movement of refusing to end the internal division.

He said that according to reliable sources close to Hamas, the Islamic movement doesn't want to join the general presidential and parliamentary elections.

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas movement's spokesman in Gaza, said in an emailed press statement that Hamas is fully ready to participate in elections that haven't been held for the Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem since 2006.

He said Abbas' statements are not true. "Hamas wants the elections to be held in accordance to the reconciliation agreements signed in both Cairo and Qatar."

In a short speech in Bethlehem on Wednesday, Abbas reiterated that he is keen to achieve a full Palestinian unity by forming a national unity government, which includes all factions, and prepare for the presidential and parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, Abu Zuhri stressed that his movement calls upon the current government to bear its full responsibility for Gaza, including operating Rafah crossing and paying salaries to Hamas employees in Gaza who haven't been paid full salaries for more than a year.

Abbas also said on Wednesday that the Palestinians will not let the PNA to collapse or get dissolved.

Over the past two weeks, the Israeli government officials have been debating and studying the consequences and the possibilities in case the PNA gets dissolved or collapsed.

Abbas also warned that the world is going towards a religious war. "If the Palestinian cause is not resolved, terrorism will go on." Endit