Sisi addressing Palestinians: Egypt is main supporter of your demands

CAIRO - 3 October 2017: A video has been screened for Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi sending a supportive message to Palestinians and their newly formed Consensus Government during its meeting in Gaza Tuesday.

"Egypt is the main supporter to the Palestinian's demands," Sisi said in a taped video message.

In his message, Sisi assured Egypt's role in guaranteeing reconciliation efforts, saying that the "[Palestinian] division leaves no winners but forces spreading extremism in the region."

"The history will punish whoever wastes this reconciliation opportunity to achieve peace," he added. Sisi further called for "no foreign interference in the Palestinian internal affairs."

Egyptian Intelligence Chief Major General Khaled Fawzy attended the meeting in Gaza, following a bilateral meeting with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to oversee the implementation of the reconciliation agreement previously signed between Hamas and Fatah in Cairo.

Egypt's role in the mediation in the reconciliation efforts has been hailed by both Palestinian parties.

The Palestinian resistance Movement Hamas will not harbor or assist any person or entity that seeks to harm Egypt’s national security, the Movement’s chief Ismail Haniyeh said in a TV interview Tuesday.

Fawzy arrived in Ramallah Tuesday morning where he met his Palestinian counterpart Major General Majed Faraj.

Hamas’ movement had announced on September 17 the dissolution of the administrative committee at the Gaza Strip, inviting the Government of National Reconciliation to assume its duties and hold general elections. The movement affirmed it would comply with the Social Reconciliation Accord signed in 2011.

The Consensus Government convenes in Gaza for the first time since 2014 on Tuesday. Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah headed the first cabinet meeting as the first actual procedure to assume administration of Gaza following dissolving the administrative committee that used to run Gaza affairs by Hamas Movement.

Cairo sponsored the Palestinian reconciliation talks over the last 11 years, which finally resulted in the latest unity initiative, following frequent failures.