Following meetings mediated by a senior Egyptian security delegation in Gaza Strip, Hamas and Fatah movements issued a joint statement announcing their adherence to national unity and adopting dialogue as means of conflict resolution.
Ismail Haniyya, senior Hamas leader in the Strip, told reporters outside Beach Hotel, where meetings were held with the Egyptian mediators, "The brothers in Fatah movement and Hamas movement have agreed to cement national unity and adopt constructive dialogue as a basis to solve every dispute and remove tensions."
According to RNA, Haniyya added that Hamas had also decided to lay out an agenda for the election process, and to reach an agreement with Fatah on the mechanisms and ways to achieve a "smooth and democratic vote."
For his part, leading Fatah official, Abdullah Franji, reiterated Haniyya's statement, and conveyed that the comments made by Hamas and Fatah movements concerning the elections would not be discussed publicly, until they were solved.
Meanwhile, Hamas, condemned President Bush’s comments during the joint White House press conference with visiting PA President, Mahmoud Abbas. Bush said "Hamas is a terrorist group," called upon Abbas to bring the group to book and called for its defeat in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in July."
A press statement issued by Hamas’ information office said: “The U.S. Administration is still insistent on insulting the Palestinian people through its blatant interference in their internal affairs. Bush’s latest comments point to the shape of democracy that the US Administration wants for our people.”
The statement added that by these comments Bush is trying to avert the eyes from the atrocities committed by his administration, such the desecration of the Quran in Guantanamo, the atrocities in Abu Ghraib, in addition to the limitless support to the "Zionist enemy in its aggression against the Palestinian people."
