Hamas says Palestinian talks to resume, control of Gaza 'temporary'

GAZA CITY: Senior Hamas leader and former Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya said on Wednesday that talks with rival Fatah are set to resume and that his movement's control of the Gaza Strip is just temporary.   

'Serious efforts are being made to relaunch this dialogue' with the Fatah party of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas which 'will resume after Eid-al-Fitr' brings an end to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Haniya said in a Gaza mosque.   

He said that the talks will take place in an Arab state, without mentioning which country. "Our administration of Gaza is temporary," added Haniya. The Western-backed Abbas has repeatedly said he firmly opposes any dialogue with Hamas until it returns the Gaza Strip to his authority.   

Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led government after the Islamists forcibly took control of Gaza in June, and he then appointed a new government based in the West Bank. Last month Haniya said he was ready to travel to Saudi Arabia 'to meet Mahmud Abbas to try and resolve the dispute between Palestinian brothers based on the Mecca accord'.   

The Mecca agreement reached under Saudi auspices last February between Fatah and Hamas led to a short-lived unity government between the rival factions after months of fighting. Depending on geography, Muslim countries will celebrate Eid on Friday or Saturday.