CAIRO: On Wednesday, an envoy of members from the Palestinian Authority members, led by leader Mahmoud Abbas, arrived in Cairo. Upon arrival at the Egyptian Defense Ministry, Abbas met with Army General Hussein Tantawi and thanked Egypt for its support to the Palestinian people. The meeting at the Defense Ministry was scheduled to include discussions on Israel's settlement-building and recent communications from the Quartet and the United States about the peace process, as well as the aspirations for a unity deal between Hamas and Fatah. Earlier in the week, Abbas proclaimed that an interim unity government would be announced after the Cairo meeting. As such, elections are to be held this May– elections in which he himself would not himself be a candidate. A Hamas delegation has also arrived in Cairo, preparing for a meeting with Fatah in which the two parties will broker a unity deal. According to a deal proposed last May, the two parties would form an immediate interim leadership and have presidential and parliamentary elections for a Palestinian government. However, the two sides have continuously failed to agree on the make-up of an interim government and, in particular, who will head it. The Hamas delegation to Cairo is led by Khaled Mashaal, the head of the Hamas political bureau. Senior Hamas official Ismael Radwan was quoted Wednesday by Ma'an News Agency saying that “we hope the meeting will be fruitful,” adding that Hamas is expected to agree with Fatah on establishing a joint authority in the occupied territories. On Wednesday, Radwan expressed hopes that the factions would adopt a single national strategy. Bloggers of the West Bank have not applauded Abbas' meet-up with Tantawi, pointing out that his visit to some extent legitimizes the brutal violence that the Egyptian state has used on protesters across the nation over the last five days. In the main square of West Bank city of Ramallah, a fair number of Palestinians protested on Tuesday in solidarity with the Egyptian demonstrators. “Abbas and Tantawi to meet up in Cairo, discussing the region. What is more shameful than that? What are these people thinking?” a young blogger from Gaza commented. On Twitter, others suggested the two leaders ought to meet up to discuss a shared resignation from their posts. In Cairo, violence is escalating as protesters call for the fall of Egypt's military rulers. The death toll is rising continuously, as police and army forces have responded to the protests with live ammunition and brutality. Tantawi made a speech on Wednesday to the Egyptian people, directed at calming down the masses and positioning himself as a protector of the people. His speech was criticized heavily though, and protesters in Tahrir Square met his statement with enhanced chants for the fall of his military regime. To further calm down the animosities against its forces, the SCAF made a statement on their Facebook page apologizing for the many deaths on Thursday morning. “The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces presents its regrets and deep apologies for the deaths of martyrs from among Egypt's loyal sons during the recent events in Tahrir Square,” it said, vowing to prosecute all those behind the deaths. Abbas has not yet commented on the clashes. Hamas and Fatah officials stated the meeting for reconciliation talks would take place ”as scheduled on Thursday,” in Cairo. BM
