Fatah and Hamas will meet in Cairo in early October to discuss Palestinian reconciliation, Fatah Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmed said on Monday, according to state-run news agency MENA. The meeting will address issues to do with reconciliation, such as political issues and Palestine's future, MENA quoted Ahmed as saying. Ahmed said Hamas preventing celebrations in support of the Palestinian bid for permanent UN membership will not affect the reconciliation issue. He said that regardless of some statements made by Hamas leaders, "reconciliation and national unity are bigger." "We are going ahead to achieve it," Ahmed said. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday said he will hold talks with Hamas about government, reconciliation and other Palestinian issues. Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation pact under Egyptian sponsorship in May. They disagreed about the agreement's terms despite several meetings, the last of which was in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on 13 September. Fatah insists on nominating current Prime Minister Salam Fayyad for the next government, which Hamas opposes. Translated from the Arabic Edition
