Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas was to hold talks with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal in Doha on Monday for the first meeting since their rival movements signed a surprise unity deal.
“Abbas will meet Meshaal on Monday (in Doha) but the timing is not clear,” a senior Palestinian official in Ramallah told AFP. The Palestinian leader flew to the Qatari capital on Sunday and was to meet with emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani this morning before attending a family wedding.
He would then meet with the exiled Hamas leader who has been based in Doha for more than two years after leaving his previous base in Damascus due to the bloodshed gripping Syria. The last time the two leaders met face-to-face was in Cairo in January 2013. Hamas officials had said at the weekend that the two leaders were expected to meet in Qatar in the coming days. “President Abu Mazen (Abbas) may meet with Khaled Meshaal on Monday to discuss reconciliation agreement and how to implement it,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.