GAZA, (PIC)-- Dr. Basim Naim, an advisor on foreign political affairs to premier Ismail Haneyya, asked Egyptian authorities to organize direct meetings with Gaza officials. He said in a TV interview on Saturday evening that the meetings would discuss means of solving Gaza crises due to closure of tunnels and Rafah border terminal. He renewed assertion that no Gazan had participated in the security events in Sinai Peninsula. more

CAIRO, (PIC)-- Israel had plans to assassinate prime minister of the government in Gaza and Hamas leader Ismail Haneyya, Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper said Saturday. Israel backed down on the decision after urgent intervention from Egypt upon getting word that Israel wanted to kill Haneyya over the Eilat attacks where some eight Israelis died. The newspaper also reported, quoting what it called informed Palestinian sources, that Egyptian authorities quickly contacted Hamas in the occupied Palestinian territories to persuade it into a ceasefire with Israel. In turn, the paper added, Hamas made efforts to persuade other Palestinian factions, the Popular Resistance Committees in particular, to uphold the ceasefire. At the time, the PRC was planning on responding to Israeli air strikes that killed five of its leaders. Meanwhile, Gideon Sa’ar, the Israeli Education Minister, denied the news report telling Israeli radio the news had no truth to it. more

Ismail Haneyya, the PA premier in Gaza, has met with George Galloway for discussions on the latest Palestinian political developments and living conditions in Gaza. Haneyya thanked Galloway for his visit and for heading the lifeline convoy that came from Britain to the Gaza Strip with truckloads of medicine and relief material in addition to a number of ambulance vehicles. The premier handed Galloway and the accompanying delegates symbolic gifts. Thanks to the Palestine Information Center The Jerusalem Post says the meeting was at a secret location - which is just as well or the Israeli state would no doubt have tried to muder both of them. Haneyya presented GeorgeG with a symbolic Palestinian Passport. Haneyya has kept out of sight since Israel's 22-day war against the people of Gaza.

As you can see from the statement below Hamas is not exactly impressed by the resignation of Fayyad whose government was illegtimate in the first place and an obstacle to national dialogue. Nevertheless the removal of this obstacle is a step forward I guess is the inference. The PA government of Ismail Haneyya on Saturday underlined that the Ramallah government of Salam Fayyad was an illegitimate government and was illegally practicing its duties. Taher Al-Nunu, the government's spokesman, said in a statement that Fayyad's government was ruling contrary to the Palestinian people's will, which chose Hamas to rule them. He said that Fayyad's resignation from his "illegal post" had its reasons, none of which are related to the national reconciliation dialog in Cairo because his government was in itself an obstacle before this dialog. Nunu called for restoring rule of Hanneya's government over the West Bank along with the Gaza Strip in accordance with the law ...