Senior Egyptian officials were due to invite a Hamas delegation for reconciliation talks after enforcing the ceasefire understandings [before the latest Israeli attack], member of Hamas Political Bureau Mosa Abu Marzoq said.

In a press release, Abo Marzoq said that the reconciliation meetings with Fatah were postponed because of the latest Israeli aggression on Gaza and may be resumed soon.

He reiterated his movement’s constant stance on the reconciliation stressing that Hamas will exert every effort possible to restore the national unity.

Abo Marzoq noted that the Israeli schemes targeting the Palestinian cause required the Palestinian people to reunite and unify the ‘National Council’ in order to fight off the plans aiming at liquidating the Palestinians refugees’ right to return to their homeland.

The Hamas leader reaffirmed the necessity to prioritize the national interests and achieve the reconciliation on the basis of national partnership, where all segments of the Palestinian people may have a say on the national decisions, and outcomes of the 2011 agreement.   

Regarding the punitive measures imposed by the Palestinian Authority on Gaza, Abu Marzoq said that the PA had to lift its sanctions on the impoverished territory before resuming the reconciliation talks.    

Hamas welcomes the ongoing efforts exerted by Egypt, along with other sides, to lift the Israeli siege on Gaza unconditionally and restore the national unity, Abu Maqzoq added.

Abu Marzoq highlighted that it is necessary for Fatah to abide by the previous agreements, 2017 Beirut understandings and Cairo 2011 agreement.   

He said that all the agreements reached afterwards are “partial, as they were not reviewed by the Legislative Council, the National Provisional Framework, or the Palestinian Liberation Organization.”

Abu Marzoq concluded that such agreements have only called for empowering the current government and failed to form a new national unity government.