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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Egyptians host Gaza rivals talks | Egyptians host Gaza rivals talks |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Egypt is hosting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his Hamas rivals for separate talks on restoring control over the Egyptian-Gaza border. | Egypt is hosting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his Hamas rivals for separate talks on restoring control over the Egyptian-Gaza border. |
| Mr Abbas has met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, but the delegation from Hamas, the de facto rulers of Gaza, will see lower-level officials. | Mr Abbas has met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, but the delegation from Hamas, the de facto rulers of Gaza, will see lower-level officials. |
| Palestinian militants breached the wall between Gaza and Egypt a week ago after Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza. | Palestinian militants breached the wall between Gaza and Egypt a week ago after Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza. |
| Egyptian efforts to reseal the border by force have failed. | Egyptian efforts to reseal the border by force have failed. |
| Palestinians are still coming across to buy much-needed food, fuel and other goods, but the Egyptian authorities have now stopped supplies to the area to stem the influx. | |
| Israel tightened its embargo on Gaza, leading to acute shortages, after a sharp rise in rocket attacks from the territory on its southern towns. | Israel tightened its embargo on Gaza, leading to acute shortages, after a sharp rise in rocket attacks from the territory on its southern towns. |
| Egypt has kept its border with the territory closed almost continuously since the Hamas takeover in June 2007. | Egypt has kept its border with the territory closed almost continuously since the Hamas takeover in June 2007. |
| The intention was to put pressure on the Islamist group, but it has become clear that Hamas must be involved if Egypt is to restore control over the border, says the BBC's Heba Saleh in Cairo. | The intention was to put pressure on the Islamist group, but it has become clear that Hamas must be involved if Egypt is to restore control over the border, says the BBC's Heba Saleh in Cairo. |
| 'Coup' | 'Coup' |
| During talks with the Egyptian president, Mr Abbas stuck to his hard line with Hamas to force it to give up control of Gaza. | During talks with the Egyptian president, Mr Abbas stuck to his hard line with Hamas to force it to give up control of Gaza. |
| GAZA BLOCKADE 17 January: Israel seals border following rise in rocket attacks20 January: Gaza's only power plant shuts down22 January: Israel eases restrictions22 January: Egyptian border guards disperse Palestinian protest against closure23 January: Border wall breached Timeline: Blockade crisisProfile: Gaza StripIsrael torn over Gaza role "There will be no talks with Hamas unless they comply with the conditions we have put forward to back off their coup, recognise international legitimacy and accept new early elections," he said after the talks. | GAZA BLOCKADE 17 January: Israel seals border following rise in rocket attacks20 January: Gaza's only power plant shuts down22 January: Israel eases restrictions22 January: Egyptian border guards disperse Palestinian protest against closure23 January: Border wall breached Timeline: Blockade crisisProfile: Gaza StripIsrael torn over Gaza role "There will be no talks with Hamas unless they comply with the conditions we have put forward to back off their coup, recognise international legitimacy and accept new early elections," he said after the talks. |
| Hamas is being received in Cairo for the first time since it seized control of Gaza, ousting the Palestinian Authority headed by Mr Abbas. | Hamas is being received in Cairo for the first time since it seized control of Gaza, ousting the Palestinian Authority headed by Mr Abbas. |
| Hamas officials, including former Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar and Syria-based leader Khaled Meshal, will meet the powerful Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman to press their case for a role in a border agreement. | Hamas officials, including former Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar and Syria-based leader Khaled Meshal, will meet the powerful Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman to press their case for a role in a border agreement. |
| Cairo does not recognise Hamas as the legitimate authority in Gaza and it wants the forces of Mr Abbas to operate the Rafah crossing between the territory and Egypt. | Cairo does not recognise Hamas as the legitimate authority in Gaza and it wants the forces of Mr Abbas to operate the Rafah crossing between the territory and Egypt. |
| That is also the position of Israel, which in 2005 pulled its troops and settlers out of Gaza, which it occupied in the 1967 war. | That is also the position of Israel, which in 2005 pulled its troops and settlers out of Gaza, which it occupied in the 1967 war. |
| Hamas insists it should share in controlling the crossing, so it is not at all clear that an agreement on the orderly functioning of the border can be reached quickly. | Hamas insists it should share in controlling the crossing, so it is not at all clear that an agreement on the orderly functioning of the border can be reached quickly. |