Alwaght-Egypt is set to hold talks with the Gaza leadership of Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, a senior official of the movement has revealed.
Mahmoud Al-Zahar suggested that the meeting might follow the recent visit to the Egyptian capital by a high-level delegation from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.
According to Al-Zahar, a co-founder of Hamas and a member of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip, the fruitful outcome of Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s visit to Cairo will have a positive impact on relations between Hamas and Egypt. He added that there has been thawing of tensions between the two sides over the past few months.
Speaking in Gaza at a gathering of Journalists Union, Al-Zahar said Hamas plans to hold talks with Egyptian authorities on all major issues including internal Palestinian reconciliation. The Hamas official note that Egypt is a major player in issues affecting the Arab world adding that the Gaza Strip is ready for commercial ties with Cairo.
Referring to the easing of movement through the Rafah Border Crossing, he said this is a pointer to changed Egyptian view towards Gaza.
Israeli Regime ‘Concerned’
The Israeli regime has already expressed ‘concern’ over Egyptian policy of between ties with Gaza including the prolonged opening of the Rafah Border Crossing and the establishment of a free trade zone to reduce the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
Sources say the Tel Aviv is reportedly worried by the Gaza-Egypt rapprochement while some believe Cairo is actually 'improving' its ties with Hamas as a way of pressurizing the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority following its recent differences with Cairo.
The Israeli regime is apparently concerned that Egypt is taking steps to improve the economic conditions of Palestinians in Gaza, a territory which has been under an inhuman Tel Aviv imposed siege since 2007.
Sources in Tel Aviv say the Israeli regime is closely monitoring the proposed Free Trade Zone between the Gaza, the Rafah Border Crossing and the Sinai region in Egypt. Such a zone is expected to improve the movement of Egyptian goods to Gaza and thus effectively deal a major blow to the Gaza siege leading to reduced suffering for Palestinians in the coastal sliver.
Avi Issacharoff an Arab affairs analysts writing for Zionist Walla website notes that recent Egyptian moves are tantamount to partial lifting of Egypt’s embargo on Gaza which together with the Israeli imposed siege ensured Palestinians in Gaza were economically crippled.
He noted that it is not yet clear as to what extent Egypt’s rapprochement with Gaza is related to deteriorating ties between Cairo and the Mahmoud Abbas-led Palestinian Authority. He adds that Egypt wants to compel Abbas to reconcile with ousted senior Fatah party member, Mahmoud Dahlan who has been mentioned as a possible successor to the Palestinian Authority President.
Egypt Collaborating with Israeli regime on Gaza
It is improbable that Egyptian President Abdul Fattah El Sisi’s government engages with Hamas officials without coordinating with Tel Aviv. Egypt is pursuing fundamental changes in the leadership of Gaza and has therefore most certainly kept Tel Aviv abreast with its moves in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Egyptian negotiators, backed by the United Arab Emirates and the Saudi regime are planning to compel Abbas to appoint Dahlan to The Fatah Party Central Committee and eventually assign him duties relating to administrative and security affairs of Gaza.
The so called national talks among Palestinian groups and the reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing are part of a plan to disarm the Palestinian resistance in Gaza. All this is going on while the Israel regime continues to kill Palestinians on a daily basis amid its expansionist and land grabbing policies in Holy Quds (Jerusalem) and the West Bank.
The El Sisi government is using a carrot and stick policy with the objective of ensuring that the Palestinians in Gaza drop armed resistance and instead compromise with the Israeli regime. This will be the greatest service El Sisi can offer to the occupier regime. After the Egyptian-led disarming of the Palestinian resistance, the Zionist Israeli regime will easily transfer its capital from Tel Aviv to the occupied Quds and pursue other expansionists policies while committing atrocities against Palestinians.
