As national unity talks are about to start in Cairo today, the Fatah Party of President Abbas refused to accept Hamas’ declaration on the legality of Abbas’ presidency after January 08, 2009, these stories and more are coming up, stay tuned.

On Tuesday, the spokesman of the Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Fahmi al-Zareer, refused the Hamas parliamentary bloc's consideration of Abbas as just an ordinary citizen after January 08, 2009, when Abbas's term in office is supposed to end.

Al-Zareer also stated that Abbas will continue to assume his responsibilities in accordance with the Palestinian law and constitution, 'which contravene with Hamas's views'.

Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation, headed by prominent Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud Alzahar, will arrive in Cairo today for talks about Palestinian national unity. Rivalry between Hamas and Fatah has reached a climax over the past 17 months.

Alzahar confirmed that his party is going to the dialogue without any pre-conditions , so that a smooth Cairo-mediated dialogue can proceed. Furthermore, the Fatah leader in Gaza, Zakariya Al-Agha called on the rival Hamas party for a non-conditioned dialogue.

In the West Bank, the Israeli military invaded a number of areas in Jenin, Bethlehem and Hebron, where the Israeli soldiers detained several Palestinian residents. Concurrently, Israeli armed settlers shot and wounded Tuesday a Palestinian civilians near Hebron.

On another issue, on Tuesday Israeli security sources indicated that a prisoner swap deal for releasing captured Israeli soldier in Gaza, Gil'ad Shalit, has become less potential 'as time is running out'.

The sources doubt the possibility because of a stalemate in Egyptian-mediated talks about the case., Hamas insists that Palestinian prisoners with long-term sentences be released, a demand that Israel has already rejected since Shalit was captured by Hamas’ and other resistance fighters in June 2006.


Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Rami Al-Meghari, and George Rishmawi