Prime Minister Saad Hariri welcomed the Palestinian reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, and hoped it would be a step towards achieving full Palestinian unity and establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

In a statement issued on the occasion of this reconciliation, Hariri said: "The blessed reconciliation, which was achieved thanks to Egyptian efforts, ends a decade of division and divergence between the two parties. We hope it constitutes a good beginning for Palestine, its people and the Arabs. The Palestinians paid a high price for this division, which was exploited by Israel to redouble its settlement plans, seize more Arab lands and target Islamic and Christian holy places, especially attempting to change the features of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and escalate campaigns of oppression and assassination against Palestinians.

We call on the leaderships of Fatah and Hamas to take additional steps to consolidate the climate of reconciliation and trust, in response to the aspirations of the steadfast Palestinian people, and work together in all Arab and international forums to achieve the historic dream of the Palestinian people of establishing an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital

Source: AFP