Nabil Shaath, a member of the central committee of the Palestinian movement of Fatah, said that Egypt leads Arab efforts to promote the Palestinian cause at international gatherings.

There is no Arab role in the region without Egypt, Shaath told MENA correspondent Wednesday. Without Egypt there is no real Arab representation in international issues, he noted.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are the true representatives of Arabs in times of crises, particularly the Palestinian and Syrian crises, Shaath said.

Egypt will undoubtedly act to further promote the Palestinian cause through its membership at the UN Security Council, he expected.

Shaath believes Egypt, the Arab League and Russia can force the US to accept the idea of holding an international conference on the Palestinian cause.

He said that negotiations between leaders of Fatah and Hamas are "positive" and direct, without any international interference.

But Shaath still noted that some parties within the two rival movements do not want to end the division or achieve national reconciliation.

However, Shaath is still hopeful that national unity would be achieved soon and would be the start of dialogue to form a unity government.

Source: MENA