Moscow to host Hamas leader Mashaal

By ICEJ News

05 Feb 2010

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal will visit Russia next week for talks on ending the bitter internal Palestinian feud with Fatah and bringing about a resumption of peace talks with Israel, Reuters reported the Russian Foreign Ministry as confirming on Thursday. Hamas, which is backed by Syria and Iran, has been shunned by the West over the Islamist group's refusal to recognize Israel, renounce terror and accept existing interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals. Meantime, Fatah official Nabil Shaath returned from a three-day visit to the Gaza Strip on Friday after meeting with Hamas officials and said, "We have paved the way to new ties based on cooperation and trust." Arriving on Wednesday, Shaath was the first senior Fatah official to visit Gaza since Hamas seized control there in June 2007. Shaath said his visit centered on "the need to end the Palestinian division." He said Hamas confirmed they will sign an Egyptian proposed reconciliation agreement “and when this happens – the two movements will renew the Palestinian unity.”

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