The statements came as a positive response to dozens of marches sweeping the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning that included tens of thousands who demanded an end to the national split.
The Hamas party prevalent in the Strip has also announced it will answer to popular demands, and has called on the coordination bureau to better define national demands believed to contribute to the protestors' objective.
Haneyya instructed security forces to protect the protesters, despite a traffic crisis that ensued as several streets were closed off.
”I call upon Abu Mazen (Abbas) and Fatah to meet urgently and immediately in Gaza or any other agreed venue to begin direct national talks and discuss all issues and the challenges to reconciliation, in order to translate the popular calls as well as our desire to achieve reconciliation and end the division,” Haneyya said.
Haneyya welcomed the protests and pointed out that the split is due to such factors as foreign intervention and lack of political decision by West Bank leaders. He added that the government in Gaza had already proven its integrity in wanting reconciliation by its positive responses to several national, Arab and at times international initiatives.
He also touched on the possibility of staging a national conference aimed at discussing the future of the Palestinian cause.
Hamas has said it is fully prepared to kick start talks for an immediate end to the split, but it said in a statement that it wished the same ”democratic event” covered by the media would have taken place in the West Bank, or that there would have at least been a stop to ongoing political arrests to pave the way for reconciliation.
Marches swept cities across the West Bank, the largest in Gaza where protesters headed towards the unknown soldier monument in the western part of the city.
Protesters waved Palestinian flags and refused to carry partisan ones and shouted anti-split chants..
They have pitched tents at the unkonwn soldier monument and vowed not to leave until the split has ended.
End item/ 149
