Hamas and Islamic Jihad movement leaders has said that they won't attend the two-day meetings of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council scheduled for next week.
Qatar-based Musa Abu Maezooq, a member of Hamas politburo, tweeted that his Islamic group has decided not to join the meetings that will be held in Ramallah on Sunday and Monday.
One senior Islamic Jihad official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that his movement had officially informed the council of its intention not to join the meetings.
The two Islamic groups are not part of the Palestinian (National) Authority or the PLO, as they have been violently opposing the peace process and the Oslo peace accords signed between Israel and the PLO in 1993.
The Islamic Jihad official said his group and Hamas agreed that their participation in the meetings won't bring any benefits to the two groups and that the results of the council meetings will be less than expectations, Xinhua reported.
The upcoming PLO central council will discuss the consequences of the US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
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Palestinian sources said the council will also discuss the internal Palestinian reconciliation between Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, as well as Palestinian strategies toward the US and Israel policies over Jerusalem.
--IANS
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