WRAP Hamas agrees to join PLO, Abbas meets Mashaal and Tantawi

Описание: (22 Dec 2011)
1. Exterior of Andalus Palace
2. Arrival of Egyptian intelligence chief General Murad Muafi
3. Arrival of delegation members from Fatah and Hamas
4. Wide of members of Palestinian delegations with Muafi
5. Mid of Muafi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal
6. Pan right from Muafi to Abbas and Mashaal
7. Wide of members of Palestinian delegations
8. Wide of members of Palestinian delegations
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Azzam Al Ahmed, Fatah delegation chief:
"We have looked at the positive efforts that Egypt deployed in the Palestinian reconciliation that took place this week upon the agreement of the delegations that met yesterday."
10. Close-up Egyptian and Palestinian flags
11. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and Abbas climbing stairs, followed by General Sami Annan
12. Abbas shaking hands with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamal Amr, Muafi and members of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces ++AUDIO AS INCOMING++
13. Wide of Tantawi and Abbas, zoom in to Abbas, pan to Tantawi
14. Mid of Annan and Amr
15. Pan left from Abbas and Tantawi to members of Palestinian delegation
STORYLINE:
Rival Palestinian factions reached a key agreement in Cairo Thursday to admit the Hamas militant group into the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) - the umbrella organisation of the Palestinian independence movement that has overseen two decades of on-and-off peace talks with Israel, both sides said.
Hamas' leader Khaled Mashaal joined a committee in Cairo on Thursday that will prepare for elections to the PLO leadership.
Those elections are likely to be years away, but Mashaal's move means he will work with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, head of the rival Fatah party.
Thursday's development is an important step toward reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah which have been split since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.
Separate elections in the West Bank and Gaza for a unified parliament are tentatively set for next year.
Abbas also met Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of Egypt's ruling military council, while in Cairo on Thursday.
Also at the meeting were Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamal Amr, Egyptian Intelligence Chief General Murad Muafi, Chief of Staff General Sami Anaan and members of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces.

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