Two Fatah officials in Gaza offering condolences to the recently deceased former PA intelligence chief should remain in Gaza and talk Palestinian unity, Hamas government Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Thursday.
On a visit to the mourning house of Amin Al-Hindi, who died in Jordan on Wednesday, Haniyeh met with Fatah Central Committee members Zakarieyah Al-Agha and Abdallh Al-Ifranji, both Gaza natives, and called on them to re-open the unity file.
"We do not accept what is happening; Hamas does not cancel Fatah. The relations between us should be based on respect and political partnership," Haniyeh told the Fatah officials. He was accompanied to the mourning house by his deputy Prime Minister Ziad Ath-Thatha, and Interior Minister Fathi Hammad.
The call for a return to talks came as Reuters broke the story on an expected invitation to resume peace talks in Washington on 2 September.
Haniyeh told the Fatah officials that unity talks should begin as soon as Al-Hindi's mourning house was closed.
"Come, let’s have an understanding on points to be ratified. We do not accept what is happening. But it is difficult to build conciliation and to sign a document that is not complete," Haniyeh said, adding that national conciliation was an urgent matter and a necessity for building a solid foundation for national liberation.