RIYADH — Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohammed Al Budaiwi welcomed the statement issued by the Palestinian factions that were meeting in the Russian capital, Moscow.
The meeting statement outcome is a positive start to beginning unified political action, conform with the aspiration of the Palestinian forces and factions participating in the meeting, to form a government that includes all segments of the Palestinian people in a way that serves their aspirations, in light of the critical circumstances, Al Budaiwi said.
He stressed that the GCC countries support all results and solutions that serve the Palestinian cause and guarantee the national rights of the Palestinian people.
Earlier, representatives from Palestinian political factions, including Hamas and Fatah, are meeting in the Russian capital to discuss the formation of a unified Palestinian government amid Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 30,000 people.
The meeting is expected to last three days for the factions to develop a “unified strategy”.
Speaking from Moscow, Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative, said that he had “never seen the atmosphere so close to unity as it is today... because people feel the responsibility after all these massacres that our people have been subjected to”.
Barghouti said the talks would focus on future national consensus government, which would “[devote] its attention and its work mainly to alleviate this terrible suffering in Gaza” and prevent “Israeli efforts to enforce ethnic cleansing on the people of Gaza”.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told the delegations that Moscow wants the Palestinians to unite so they are able to negotiate with Israel.
Ahead of the meeting, Palestinian Minister for Foreign Affairs Riad Malki said on Wednesday that he did not expect “miracles” from the meeting.
“We hope that there might be good results in terms of mutual understanding between all factions about the need to support such a technocratic government that will emerge,” Malki said. — Agencies
