Another chance? An Egyptian effort to revive Palestinian reconciliation
01 March 2018
Reconciliation efforts are returning to Cairo. The new head of Egyptian intelligence, General Abbas Kamel, has been conducting a series of intensive talks with the Hamas leadership headed by Ismail Haniya since the 10th of the month. In fact, because of the importance of the talks, all senior Hamas figures from abroad were also summoned to Cairo, including Salah al-'Aruri, deputy head of the Hamas political bureau.
According to Egyptian sources, Egyptian intelligence did not allow the delegation led by Ismail Haniya to go to Qatar for consultations with the other members of the leadership and they were forced to come to Egypt.
Egypt wants to minimize Qatar's involvement in Palestinian issues and to allow the UAE "a foothold" in the humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Egypt resumed its meetings with the Hamas leadership, while the Egyptian army was conducting a major military operation against the Da'as branch in Sinai, and the meetings between Egyptian intelligence and Hamas were halted for several weeks due to the deadlock between Fatah and Hamas, General Khaled Fawzi by President al-Sisi.
The head of the new intelligence, General Abbas Kamel, is also the head of the office of President al-Sisi, and he is actually his right hand for all intents and purposes and enjoys his full trust.
As a result of the talks, an Egyptian intelligence delegation arrived from Cairo to the Gaza Strip to begin dealing with landmines that prevent the reconciliation process.
Sources in Hamas in the Gaza Strip who were in contact with the Egyptian delegation said that the talks were taking place in a positive atmosphere and that Egypt initiated this move to save the Gaza Strip from collapse due to the severe humanitarian crisis in which it is located.
The Egyptians fear that the difficult economic situation will lead to a new outbreak and a round of fighting with Israel, which could destabilize Egypt as well.
Therefore, Egypt informed the Hamas delegation that it intended to open the Rafah crossing almost permanently to the movement of residents on both sides of the border and to the passage of goods.
The Egyptians announced that they would begin to prepare a free trade zone in northern Sinai immediately after the end of the military operation against Da'ash. The Egyptian trend is to allow unlimited entry of goods into the Gaza Strip in order to reduce the dependence of the Gaza Strip on Israel.
Egypt is presenting an option - a direct counterbalance to the al-Thani Tamimi (Qatar) - Iran collaboration with Hamas: