Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called for unity of the
Palestinians before a scheduled meeting on Saturday with
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who arrived in Cairo on Friday
afternoon.
Egypt maintains contact with all Palestinian factions to bridge
gaps among them, Mubarak was quoted as saying in an interview with
an Egyptian weekly newspaper by the official MENA news agency.
Mubarak said that a three-way summit bringing together Mubarak,
Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert could be convened
anytime.
Egypt intends to build mutual confidence between the
Palestinians and Israel to push the peace process forward, Mubarak
said.
Egypt is also trying to help dispatch humanitarian aid to the
Palestinians, Mubarak added.
Olmert said after a summit with Mubarak in Egypt's Red Sea
resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on June 4 that he intended to meet Abbas
and that negotiations with the Palestinians were Israel's
priority.
The European Union -- the biggest aid donor to the
Palestinians-- and the United States both suspended direct aid to
the Palestinian National Authority after Islamic Resistance
Movement (Hamas) won January elections, while Israel has also
blocked the transfer of revenues, causing acute Palestinian
financial crisis.
The Hamas-led government has resisted massive pressure to
renounce violent resistance, recognize Israel's right to exist and
abide by signed peace deals with Israel since it was sworn in late
March.
(Xinhua News Agency June 17)
