Hamas’s Palestine Information Center has these items:
- 1. “Haneyya: The [Palestinian caretaker] government is ready to hold urgent talks with Egypt regarding Rafah.” Includes this:
- Khaled Mishaal, the head of Hamas political bureau, called for putting the borders between Egypt and Gaza under the supervision of Egyptians and Palestinians only and ignoring any previous agreements detracting from the sovereignty of the two countries.
Mishaal underscored that Egypt did not sign the agreement in 2006 regarding the management of the Rafah crossing; thus, it is not bound by it, adding that Hamas is ready to cooperate with Egypt and the PA leadership to regulate the borders between Egypt and Gaza.
2. “PA leadership turns down Haneyya’s crossings offer.” Including this:
- The London-based Ashark Al-Awsat newspaper quoted Nimir Hammad, the political advisor to PA chief Mahmoud Abbas, as saying that [Hamas’s offer to coordinate with Ramallah and Egypt over the crossings issue] was rejected.
He said that the PA presidency would not negotiate Hamas over anything until it revokes results of its “coup” and would not negotiate with it over the crossings in particular because it had nothing to do with the issue!
Haneyya had expressed readiness in a televised address on Wednesday to hold an urgent meeting with “brothers in Egypt and Ramallah” to agree on preparations for opening the Rafah border terminal and other crossings surrounding the Gaza Strip.
For its part, the Fatah faction refused Haneyya’s invitation.
And Debka-file has this item:
- 1. “Israeli officials [unidentified]… wonder why defense minister Ehud Barak has not cut short his attendance at the Economic Forum in Switzerland when the blockade he ordered on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip – but for fuel and other necessities – had become futile.
Note: I just deleted one reference to a Debka-file piece above, since it seemed both unsubstantiated and alarmist. Commenters Jonathan Edelstein and JES, whose views and information base I respect, have pointed out that DF is not a reliable source on its own. Generally, I agree. But I think some of their reporting on the current developments is revealing.