RESUMPTION OF FATAH-HAMAS TALKS DELAYED BY

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001244 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA; NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR; JOINT STAFF FOR LTGEN SELVA E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER KPAL KWBG EG SY SUBJECT: RESUMPTION OF FATAH-HAMAS TALKS DELAYED BY PRISONER AND PARTY CONGRESS ISSUES REF: JERUSALEM 1183 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles for reasons 1.4 (b,d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The resumption of Fatah-Hamas reconciliation talks in Cairo has been postponed one month to August 25. This followed a stalemate in lower-level dialogue meant to pave the way for progress. Talks at the subcommittee level foundered on the issue of prisoners, with neither Hamas nor Fatah showing flexibility. Egyptian officials will visit Ramallah and Damascus in the coming days to consult with the two factions' leadership. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On August 19, Egyptian officials mediating the ongoing Fatah-Hamas reconciliation dialogue in Cairo postponed resumption of official talks to August 25. The postponement reflected a lack of progress in recent working-level subcommittee meetings, as well as -- Fatah officials speculate -- Egyptian concurrence with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Abu Mazen's request that factional dialogue be suspended until the conclusion of Fatah's Sixth Party Congress, which is scheduled to take place in Bethlehem on August 4. ¶3. (C) According to Fatah officials Azzam al Ahmad and Majed Faraj, the Fatah-Hamas subcommittee tasked with breaking the stalemate before July 25 foundered on the issue of prisoner releases. Hamas delegates pressed for the release of approximately 850 Hamas prisoners detained by the PA in the West Bank; Fatah representatives responded that the issue of prisoner releases could be resolved only after all other disputed issues, including the Hamas coup of 2007, had been addressed. According to Fatah representatives, Hamas made it clear that the Fatah delegates it holds in Gaza would not be released to attend the Fatah Congress without a larger deal on prisoner issues. Fatah officials accused Hamas of blackmail. ¶4. (C) According to Fatah attendees, Hamas officials present at the latest round of lower-level talks resisted Egyptian pressure to provide written positions on the issues at hand. When asked by the Egyptians to permit imprisoned Fatah delegates to travel to the West Bank for the Party Congress, Hamas official Izzat al Risheq replied that the Hamas delegation had come to Cairo for consultations, and was not authorized to make decisions. ¶5. (C) In the face of this impasse, the subcommittee dissolved July 19, and the resumption of formal talks was postponed to August 25. Egyptian officials will reportedly visit Fatah and Hamas leadership in Ramallah and Damascus in the interim. WALLES