Abbas agrees to attend peace summit

The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to attend upcoming peace talks in Egypt, despite rumours he will boycott the event. The news come after the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, announced plans to hold Palestinian peace talks between Fatah and Hamas in Egypt, inviting a number of Arab states to participate. “We (Fatah) will attend the mini Arab summit when being invited as the representative of the Palestinian people," said President Mahmoud during tree-planting ceremony on the West Bank. Fatah sources have previously said that Abbas will boycott the event in protest of Hamas being recognised as an official representative of the Palestinians. During Monday’s event, Abbas dismissed the need for the upcoming peace summit, saying “the Palestinian reconciliation between Fateh and Hamas does not need new procedures.” "Principally there are no disputes that need all these efforts. We now agree on two basic points since the Doha and Cairo agreements; the first point is that a transitional government is needed and the second point is elections need to be held within three months," Abbas added. Speaking about signing an agreement between the Palestinian and Jordanian authorities to protect Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem, particulary the iconic al-Aqsa Mosque, Abbas said:"In 1988 when the disengagement was announced we talked with King Hussein Bin Talal about this issue and how to follow up the holy sites protection." “Back then we agreed that the responsibility for Islamic endowment is on Jordan will continue to shoulder this responsibility,” added Abbas.