The Egyptian side, which sponsored the dialogue of the 12 Palestinian factions in Cairo since January 24, agreed with the factions to resume the dialogue in Cairo once again on February 4, 2003. al-Ayyam got to know from informed sources in Cairo that the Egyptian-Palestinian agreement came in light of not reaching any mature vision on some of the issues posed in the agenda, such as administering the conflict and taking decisions at the leadership level, which means that the representatives need to return to their leaders to take final decision on those issues. Bassam al-Salhi, head of the Palestinian People's Party delegation to Cairo, stated in a phone call that Omar Suleiman, Chief of the Egyptian Intelligence, who attended the concluding session held last Monday, expressed hope to see the Palestinian factions attend the meeting on February 4, 2003, with a Palestinian initiative that rises to the historical responsibility. He added that Suleiman explained to the participants a clear vision on the dangers surrounding the Palestinian cause in light of the escalation of the Israeli extremist right wing and in light of the US possible aggression on Iraq and in light of the lack of Palestinian internal unity. Meanwhile, Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal blamed Palestinian parties for the failure to reach common grounds. He said those parties insisted on imposing their vision on all factions. Nazzal said Hamas showed a lot of flexibility on many of the issues, but was faced with an insistence to include in the concluding statement positions that contradict with its strategy, regarding recognizing the international legitimacy which means recognizing Israel or declaring a halt of resistance while Hamas declares that resistance is its strategic option and will not be subject to negotiations. Hamas declared yesterday the failure of the negotiations between the Palestinian factions in Cairo and affirmed that Hamas and other extremist organizations oppose halting suicide operations against Israel. Nazzal said that Hamas does not oppose joining the PLO but objected to the path of the PLO which recognizes that 80% of the Palestinian territories are part of the Zionist entity. Nazzal added that Islamic Jihad, Sa'eqa, and the PFLP "General Command" share Hamas opinion. Osama Hamdan, Representative of Hamas in Lebanon, said two major issues remained outstanding: the unified command and the commission that have the authority to take decisions; the means to administer the conflict against occupation.

A Palestinian source states that the Egyptian authorities set up the date of February 4, 2003, as the final date for the Palestinian factions to give their final response on its proposal for a one-year truce that stipulates halting bombing operations in Israel. The Palestinian official said in a phone call with Al-Quds from Cairo that the Egyptian authorities informed the representatives of the various factions at the conclusion of their four-day talks that they have to give their response regarding halting operations and that if they agree, it will be announced in a major press conference.

According to the same source, a new Egyptian invitation will be sent to the Palestinian factions to come to Cairo after formulating their response to the proposal. The Palestinian official said the Palestinian factions promised to study the truce proposal and will give their response at the set date. When asked if the Egyptian authorities got Israeli guarantees to stop the aggression against the Palestinian people, the same source said: Chief of the Egyptian Intelligence Omar Suleiman affirmed to us that he guarantees that he can launch an Egyptian initiative and to personally visit Israel and the US in order to convince them to take parallel steps to the supposed Palestinian declaration on halting bombing operations. The Palestinian official said Suleiman stressed that the decision on halting operations must be taken before the end of next February because he expects major and dangerous events and developments; therefore, the appropriate date to give the Palestinian response is February 4, 203. The Palestinian official who participated in the dialogue said Hamas and Islamic Jihad Movements set the conditions of re-arranging and re-building the PLO institutions and halting the monopoly in taking decisions in order to join the PLO. The source added that Hamas and Islamic Jihad disagreed with the other factions in the PLO on the international legitimacy resolutions pertaining to the Palestinian cause, especially resolution 194 on the refugees and the borders of the Palestinian state. The Palestinian source added that the factions participating in the dialogue will agree on resuming the talks within two weeks to give their response on the Egyptian proposal, and there will be an agreement to form a guiding committee to follow up the dialogue inside and outside the Palestinian lands. Meanwhile, the Palestine Media Center issued a statement yesterday quoting Palestinian official sources participating in the Cairo dialogue saying that Hamas and Islamic Jihad showed flexibility on the issue of neutralizing the civilians on both sides from the circle of gunfire in return for halting assassinations and incursions in the Palestinian lands and lifting the siege provided that this commitment be secret with Egypt and to be announced in case the Israeli government agreed to those conditions. In Gaza, Dr. Abdul Aziz Rantisi said the Cairo dialogue was positive and there was unity in many viewpoints and the dialogue continues towards the final draft. Rantisi affirmed that Hamas had a clear position on the bombing operations and resistance and that it cannot give them up. Maher al-Taher, head of the PFLP delegation to the dialogue, said the basic issue is the formation of a unified national command to include 12 factions which includes all PLO factions and Hamas and Islamic Jihad and others. Al-Taher said the PA accepts the idea of a unified command and does not see in it any challenge but an additional structure. On the issue of halting bombing operations, he explained that in case a unified command is formed, this command will decide the means of administering the conflict.

Osama Hamdan, member in Hamas delegation to the Cairo dialogue, stated that the past few days witnessed a large number of bilateral meetings between the Palestinian factions to look at the various viewpoints. Hamdan added: there is a consensus among the participants in the dialogue on the necessity to come up with an agreement that maintains the unity of Palestinians and all indicators point to the possibility of achieving this. The representatives of the various factions agreed that the massacre committed by the Israeli army in Gaza last Saturday night expedited in bridging the gap between the various opinions of the factions. A source participating in the dialogue said the discussions on the possibility of freezing bombing operations would continue this evening. The drafting committee was commissioned to prepare a draft for a political project which includes three basic issues that will be announced today after presenting it to the Egyptian side. The three basic issues deal with the concept of the Palestinian state and the unified political reference and military action of resistance. The project on the first issue stipulates establishing an independent Palestinian state with sovereignty on the occupied territories with al-Quds al-Shareef as its capital, avoiding any definition of the borders of that state in order to avoid the difference in opinion between the Islamic and national factions. The second issue stipulates forming a unified political command that includes representatives from all factions to be the basic reference in taking decisions at the strategic and tactical levels on the basis of an internal democratic mechanism that excludes any monopoly in taking decisions. The third issue stipulates delaying the discussions on means of resistance and degree of appropriate military action and its geographical boundaries until after forming the unified political command which will have the task of discussing a comprehensive strategy of resistance that takes into consideration the international and regional changes and that considers resistance a legitimate strategic option in retaliation to the violations of the Israeli occupation troops against the Palestinians.

Q: Israeli daily, Yediot Ahranot reported that the dialogue has failed to achieve an agreement over open fire. What is your comment?

A: the dialogue is not over because the sessions are still ongoing. Also there is a committee for phrasing the agreement. It worked till late last night. So we cannot say that the dialogue ended in not agreement.
Many discussions took place in addition of an exchange of views. We should not forget that there are many factors in this regard. Some factions have not played its role in this dialogue and they even did not met since several years. This issue needs more discussion to achieve positions.

Q: Do you think the dialogue will end in a joint declaration or program?

A: actually, this issue is still under discussion. We did not came to Cairo to issue a communiqué however we came to produce a common document or program in which we agree on the main issues, perspectives and guidelines. The conference is supposed to establish a follow up committee, which is entitled to put the details regarding mechanism of implementing these programs and plans.

Q: What are the major issues that are still under discussion?

A: various issues are still under discussion. Some formulas were prepared and some brothers were authorized to prepare the draft agreement.

Q: What was the impact of Gaza massacre on the dialogue?

A: there has been discussion over what Israel can do of aggression. The brutal massacre in Gaza urged us all to underline the need to achieve an agreement. We are fully aware that Sharon’s government does not want an agreement or results from the dialogue. It does want appeasement. It is interested in violence to exploit it in the Israeli elections and to destroy the peace process.

Q: Do you think we are far from achieving a united Palestinian view?

A: these issues have been discussed in details. Every body feels the dangers and challenges that surround us in addition to the possible ramifications of changes in case US aggression takes place on Iraq.
No doubts, Palestinian political factions have a common understanding but have their various interpretations to the current political situation.

Q: What about mechanism of resistance?

A: regarding the conflict and its tools, there is an agreement over some issues. No body disagrees over resistance, which is a legitimate right to our people. Resistance has different forms. As long as there is occupation, there will be resistance.
However, the question is over the form of resistance that best serve our cause at the current situation. There are interpretations over some forms, which could be used in the tangible situation. All talked about the continuation of Intifada in its popular form.

Q: What about Hamas position regarding the operations inside the green line?

A: these issues are under discussion. Some of the factions have clear positions over excluding targeting civilians from both sides in addition of halting the aggression, assassination and destruction by Israeli occupation. However, this matter should be done in reciprocity. Arab and international parties should provide all the guarantees so that Israel would yield to this position.

Q: What about the political reference, which is requested by PFLP?

A: everybody talks about the participation of all in the decision – making process, i.e. getting all of national and Islamic factions in one leading committee, which will form the reference. But still there are discussions. We consider PLO as the reference. Some temporally proposals were suggested to those faction, which are not part of PLO, pending achieving a formula that will activate PLO institutions.

The contacts held between Egyptian mediators [late last night] resulted in an agreement to resume the dialogue between the Palestinian factions in Cairo on Thursday and Friday. An informed Palestinian source said the Egyptian mediators contacted Mahmoud Abbas "Abu Mazen" and Dr. Zakaria al-Agha, who represent Fatah Movement to the dialogue, and informed them of the positions of Hamas and Islamic Jihad Movements who refuse to attend the dialogue unless the Sa'eqa and PFLP "General Command" Organizations are invited to the dialogue and they requested from Abu Mazen and Al-Agha to seek the opinion of President Arafat on the possibility of inviting those two organizations to participate in the dialogue. Abu Mazen and al-Agha conveyed the Egyptian message to the President who announced immediately his approval on the participation of Saeqa and General Command if their absence would obstruct or frustrate the Cairo dialogue. The source added that the Egyptian mediators conveyed the approval of President Arafat to the officials in Hamas and Islamic Jihad and following this development, Hamas and Islamic Jihad agreed to attend the Cairo dialogue. Bassam al-Salhi, member of the Palestinian People's Party to the dialogue, said eight delegations arrived in Cairo and within the next few hours the rest of the 12 factions will arrive and the meetings of the dialogue will last on Thursday and Friday. He said that the general trend of all factions is positive and everybody realizes the Palestinian need to a unified Palestinian position and formula under the current conditions and in order to overcome the issues that raise debate and argument and disagreement. Al-Salhi said there is Palestinian effort and preparation that might result within the next three days in reaching a joint and unified formula and rhetoric to respond to all issues and to make up a common ground towards an appropriate formula that serves that Palestinian people and cause.

Egypt will host on the 22 of January a major meeting between the Palestinian factions in the context of the national dialogue that aims to reach a Palestinian-Palestinian agreement on means to administer the conflict at this difficult phase according to all factions. Palestinian Interior Minister Hani al-Hasan told reporters in Cairo on the 20 of January: We hope that the meetings will achieve an agreement between the various factions because it is necessary to unite the ranks in confronting the Israeli society which is moving towards the right. Ten Palestinian factions will participate in a first meeting under Egyptian sponsorship one week before the Israeli legislative elections.

Egyptian President Mubarak whose country has been trying for months to unify the positions of all those groups said that progress has been achieved towards halting the Palestinian operations for some time but he stressed that the Palestinian factions have not reached to a final agreement yet. Head of the DFLP delegation Fahed Suleiman told AFP: all Palestinian parties support the continuation of resistance but the talks will tackle the means and performance of resistance; he added that his faction will present to the meeting a project to unify the ranks in the members of the PLO and the parties which are not members in the PLO and towards reforming the PA. Palestinian analysts and sources said Egypt is trying to get a Palestinian commitment to suspend the bombing operations in exchange for activating the roadmap pertaining to settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Meanwhile, Palestinian Planning and International Cooperation Minister Nabil Shaath said that the Cairo meeting does not aim to stop the Intifada and resistance but a chance that must not be wasted to reach a Palestinian-Palestinian agreement on mechanisms of administering the conflict in these difficult times. Shaath added that the Intifada and resistance will affect objectively on the Israeli elections but there is no subjective effect from the Palestinians on the elections, stressing that the results of the Cairo dialogue will not affect the Israeli elections. Shaath criticized in a press conference he held in Gaza some press statements issued by representatives of Palestinian factions on not accepting a truce, saying: there is no need to sabotage the dialogue with negative statements by some parties; he wondered: Why do we go if we have prejudgments. Shaath added: We want to administer the conflict because the Intifada is the legitimate expression of resistance against occupation in which the Palestinian people offered sacrifices and we must agree that the PNA is the sole authority authorized to lead the conflict and to agree on the means to administer the conflict, including escalation, calming, means, locations, targets and truce and other tactical matters.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian initiative presented to the Cairo meeting talks about stressing on the legitimacy of the resistance against Israeli aggression, occupation, and settlements. The paper also stresses on the Arab and Islamic dimension of the Palestinian cause as an important strategic depth and on adopting all struggle means and methods exercised by the Palestinian people in a manner that serves their national goals. The paper stipulates clinging to the spirit of struggle and resistance and giving peace efforts a chance to prove their effectiveness in placing the Palestinian cause on the right track and negotiate for the sake of peace; the paper adds: we decided to freeze armed struggle means for one year, stressing that our ultimate goal is to see all regional and international forces act to change the current situation and push the Israeli side to withdraw and stop the acts of killing, assassination and the arbitrary measures against the Palestinian people and leadership and return to the negotiations table under international sponsorship. The paper also stresses that all Palestinian factions and forces commit to the unity of the Palestinian position and move away from any attempts to harm national unity. The paper stresses on clinging to the legitimate elected Palestinian leadership headed by President Arafat and to hold democratic elections with the participation of everybody when the conditions allow this.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Radio said the head of the Israeli military intelligence Aharon Zeevy said the Cairo dialogue would not lead to a truce to halt operations against Israel. General Zeevy said in a speech he delivered in Hertzilia that Hamas and Islamic Jihad which are responsible for the majority of operations against Israel have no desire to halt their terrorist attacks. He also said that President Arafat is not ready to halt "terrorism" against Israel. Coordinator of the Israeli Activities in the Palestinian territories General Amos Gilad said peace cannot be achieved as long as Arafat remains the leader of the PA; he added: changing the Palestinian leadership constitutes the most urgent measure.