File Photo: Palestinian demonstrators hold Fatah party flags as they demonstrate in the center of the West Bank city of Hebron. AFP
The delegation, led by Fatah Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub, included Rawhi Fattouh, president of the Palestinian National Council; Mohammad Shtayyeh, the former Palestinian prime minister; and Diab al-Louh, the Palestinian ambassador to Cairo.
They met on Saturday with the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty, who reiterated Cairo's support for the Palestinian Authority and rejected Israeli attempts to fragment Palestinian territory by separating Gaza from the West Bank.
According to the source, the roadmap seeks to challenge what it describes as Israel's "pretexts" in the political process and end its "war of extermination and destruction" against the Palestinian people.
The two-stage process outlined begins with a closed-door political dialogue, fully coordinated by Egypt, between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, based in the occupied West Bank, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Sky News Arabia said.
During this stage, Hamas would be expected to adopt UN resolutions as the framework for resolving the conflict, and both sides would commit to what the source described as "comprehensive popular resistance as a strategic choice."
Hamas would also be expected to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organisation's national, regional, and international obligations and agree to a unified political system encompassing governance, security, weapons, and the rule of law while maintaining political pluralism. The group would also commit to democratic elections.
Additional commitments include affirming the unity of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967 and the political system as a whole. Hamas would unify administrative and service institutions across all security bodies, "from Rafah in the south to Jenin in the north."
It would declare an end to its civil and security control over Gaza and begin reintegration of the Strip with the West Bank, in coordination with the Palestinian Authority and Egypt.
The second phase would launch a "comprehensive national dialogue" involving all Palestinian factions, based on four principles: a political solution grounded in unity and UN resolutions; a unified and peaceful vision of resistance that avoids bloodshed; a shared vision of a modern state built on pluralism, freedom of expression, the rule of law, and peaceful transfer of power; and political partnership through democratic elections.
The rollout of the plan comes just over a fortnight after Fatah called on Hamas to relinquish power to safeguard the 'existence' of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
"Hamas must show compassion for Gaza, its children, women and men," Fatah spokesman Monther al-Hayek said in a message sent to AFP from Gaza.
Al-Hayek called on Hamas to "step aside from governing and fully recognize that the battle ahead will lead to the end of Palestinians' existence" if it remains in power in Gaza.
Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007 from the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority. Subsequent attempts at reconciliation have failed.
The territory has been devastated by an Israeli war that has killed some 50,000 people, primarily women and children. It has sparked a dire humanitarian crisis, pushing some 2.3 million to the brink of famine.
In talks with the delegation, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Israeli war on Gaza and expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid. He warned that Israel's reliance on military force would only deepen regional instability.
"Illusions of power will not bring Israel the security it imagines," he said, condemning what he called "extremist practices against civilians" and accusing Israel of acting like a state "above the law."
Short link: