Egypt is trying to isolate and ignore Hamas by calling a regional summit next week including Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. This is a sequel to the the recent takeover of Gaza by Hamas. The summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh aims to boost Abbas by showing he can move ahead with the peace process with Israel despite the Hamas hold on Gaza. Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians confirmed they would attend the summit. Abbas may call for resumption of peace talks with Israel, arguing that only progress toward Palestinian statehood can serve as a true buffer against Hamas. Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin said he intended to secure approval ahead of the summit to release at least $600 million in tax revenues owed to the Palestinians to the emergency Cabinet sworn in by Abbas in the occupied West Bank. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit said that Arab leaders would seek further measures from Israel to ease life for the 2.5 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
In Gaza, protesters burned Abbas in effigy, denouncing him as a US puppet. Abu Zuhri of Hamas accused Abbas of being part of “an Israeli, American and regional plot.”
EGYPT SIDELINES HAMAS
Egypt is trying to isolate and ignore Hamas by calling a regional summit next week including Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. This is a sequel to the the recent takeover of Gaza by Hamas.
