RAMALLAH, January 31 (JMCC) - Palestinian officials are monitoring the situation in Egypt but say they are not worried that changes in the country's leadership will impact the Palestinian cause.
The Palestinian leadership is following what is going on in Egypt step-by-step, Azzam al-Ahmad, a senior Fatah official within the Palestinian Legislative Council, told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
We are looking at all the details, but we are not afraid that the developments will affect the Palestinian issue, he said, referring to Egypt's stance on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Ahmad, who has been closely involved in Egypt's attempts to broker a truce between Fatah and its Islamist rival Hamas, said the leadership was hoping the situation would stabilise.
We hope that stability will return to Egypt soon. We respect whatever the Egyptians will decide, but we condemn all the looting, he said, referring to an outbreak of theft and vandalism amid the unrest in Egypt.
Egypt and the
Palestinian Authority have very close relations, as Cairo has sought to broker intra-factional agreements between
Fateh and
Hamas, as well as a prisoner deal between Hamas and Israel.
The loss of Hosni Mubarak at Egypt's helm would begin an era of uncertainty for Palestinians, in particularly the Palestinian Authority, which would view the rise of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which is close to Hamas, with trepidation.