Mishaal: Occupation is responsible if Egypt’s efforts fail

Mishaal: Occupation is responsible if Egypt’s efforts fail

Khaled Mishaal, the head of Hamas”s political bureau, has asserted Tuesday that the Israeli dodging in the negotiations won”t succeed, and that the truce is linked to lifting the siege and opening all crossing points of Gaza Strip, and not connected to Shalit”s file.


He explained that the Israeli occupation knows very well Hamas”s position that the file of (captured Israeli soldier) Gilad Shalit should be part of the process of swapping prisoners.


“No truce without lifting the siege and opening the crossing points, and the truce shouldn’t be mixed with the file of the captured Israeli soldier as he (Shalit) will be swapped with our male and female captives in Israeli jails, and that is the position of the resistance”, affirmed Mishaal as he answered media questions while receiving Amr Mousa, the secretary-general of the Arab League, at his office in the Syrian capital Damascus.


He added that Israel is trying to inject more conditions to the truce as the battle of who would form the next Israeli cabinet is flaring up between the two biggest Israeli parties Kadima and Likud.


But he said that both the Palestinian resistance and Egypt rejected the Israeli maneuvers, describing the Egyptian stand in this regard as “positive”; however, he urged more Arab support to the Palestinian stand in order to “impose our conditions on the Israelis”.


In this concern, Hamas”s top leader held the Israeli occupation fully responsible in the event Egypt”s efforts for truce failed, urging the international community to pressure the Israelis into dealing positively with the Egyptian efforts.


On the other hand, Mishaal reiterated his Movement”s willingness to end the Palestinian political rift, and to discuss all files of disputes on the table of the national dialogue, including the PLO, the reconstruction of the PA security apparatuses, and the legislative and presidential elections among other crucial files.


But he called on all concerned parties to help prepare the positive atmosphere for such dialogue, including releasing all political prisoners in the PA jails in the West Bank.


As for the reconstruction of Gaza Strip, Mishaal highlighted the necessity to expedite this file in order to help thousands of Palestinian families who were displaced from their homes after the brutal Israeli war on Gaza last month.


“We believe that accelerating inter-Arab understanding would greatly contribute in making the inter-Palestinian reconciliation succeed”, underlined Mishaal.


Mousa, for his part, acknowledged that the recent Arab move towards reconciliation has paved the way to bury the hatchet between Arab countries and between the Palestinians as well, stressing that inter-Arab and inter-Palestinian reconciliation was the only way to confront the Israelis.


He also blamed the Israelis for disavowing the obligations of the truce, saying, “Every time we almost reach an agreement, Israel is putting more conditions that wouldn’t help in closing this file”.


Talking on the Arab peace initiative, Mousa explained that the initiative “is still valid but will not stay (on the table) for long”.