Hamas security qualms over Abbas’ visit

Hamas has uncertainties relating to Palestinian Authority President, Mahomoud Abbas' planned visit to Gaza "for security reasons", a member of Hamas' politburo Mahmoud al-Zahar told Arabstoday on Thursday. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said last week that he plans to visit the Gaza Strip soon and had had previously proposed a joint visit with President Abbas. "He welcomed the suggestion," Erdogan said. "We welcome anyone who comes to Gaza, especially the top regional and international officials. But if he [Erdogan] plans to come with Abbas, we have reservations on this visit due to security reasons related to the internal strife within Fatah," said al-Zahar, referring to the conflict between Mahmoud Abbas and the former Fatah powerful man Mohammed Dahlan. Hamas-affiliated MP Yahia Mousa said on Wednesday he would not welcome Mahmoud Abbas to the Gaza Strip, after the President was reported to have considered a joint visit with the Turkish President. "No hello, no welcome, no greeting - your visit is refused. Gaza is the house of the revolution and the revolutionary, and we don't welcome anyone who sells our homeland," Mousa stressed. However, Mahmoud al-Zahar said to reporters on Thursday that Hamas' rejection to Abbas' visit to Gaza "has nothing to do with whether he is welcomed or not, but because we fear that he might be targeted by Dahlan's supporters in Gaza". Al-Zahar hinted that Abbas himself will not accept the visit because he is aware of the threats waiting for him in the Strip. Al-Zahar blamed Fatah for the fail of all the efforts aimed at bringing the two movements together in a reconciliation process, claiming that Fatah's "deliberated" attempts to foil the reconciliation are back to their commitment to the US-Israeli agenda, which doesn't welcome a reconciliation between the two rival factions.