Cairo, 2008 July 28, Qodsna

After meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the two had agreed to launch an inter-Palestinian dialogue under Egyptian sponsorship starting from today.

Abbas told journalists that Egypt will start inviting all Palestinian factions within days for the internal dialogue.

In his summit meeting with Mubarak on Sunday, Abbas reviewed recent developments in the Palestinian arena and the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on final-status issues, and prospects for the tripartite meeting scheduled for this week in Washington, where the heads of the Palestinian and Israeli negotiating teams will meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The two also reviewed the Gaza truce, which aims to ease the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and improve the flow of goods into the Strip. However, the meeting focused on Egyptian efforts to unite the Palestinian people and broker a dialogue between the different Palestinian factions, along with Abbas' own initiative for national dialogue.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu Al-Gheit attended the meeting along with Mubarak. The Palestinian side included Salih Rafat, a member of the PLO executive committee; At-Tayyib Abdul-Rahim, a member of the Fatah central committee and Secretary General of President Abbas' office; Nabil 'Amr, Palestinian ambassador to Cairo; Muhammad Mustafa, Abbas' economic advisor; and Nabil Abu Rudeina, Abbas' media advisor and spokesperson.

When questioned whether it would be better to conclude the issue of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit before beginning the internal Palestinian dialogue, Abbas answered that the dialogue can advance negotiations on the release of Shalit and the Palestinian prisoners, as well as negotiations regarding the border crossings. He noted that the issues are all related and that since the Egyptian efforts encompass all these matters, talks can proceed in parallel without any one issue dominating the others. 

Abbas announced his faction has no preconditions for the talks. 

Hamas and Fatah have not negotiated since June 2007 when Abbas sacked Hamas leader and Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, following which Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip. 

Since then Hamas leaders have several times announced their readiness to engage in talks with Fatah in order to solve the Palestinian schism. 

The Hamas government led by Ismail Haniya has popularity among the Palestinians and was elected by the majority, but Abbas sacked it. 

Abbas emphasized Fatah's desire to restore national unity by all peaceful means, adding that Fatah would not sanction violence, killing, or internal fighting.