Contrasting news circulated about the date of the Palestinian national dialogue. Some factions said they had been invited by Egypt to take part in the enlarged dialogue – attended by general secretaries or their deputies - next Thursday, while others said they had not received this invitation from Egypt so far. Dr. Nabil Shaath, member of Fatah central committee, said his movement had received no invitation to the dialogue in Cairo. He said he called Egyptian officials yesterday and they told him that the new date of the dialogue had not been set yet. He described the news concerning the start of the dialogue on Wednesday as media predictions. Shaath added that the meetings between Fatah and Hamas officials were continuing in order to pave the way for the national dialogue. A Hamas leading figure said February 25, which had been set by Cairo to start the dialogue, was not a definitive date. "Hamas welcomes the dialogue and thinks it must be well prepared for it to be successful. In particular, it stresses the importance of releasing political detainees from the prisons of the security services in the West Bank" he said. The Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad Movement, Zayad el-Nakhala, said his movement had received no invitation to take part in the Cairo dialogue. He also questioned the media's news on the date of such a dialogue. Saleh Nasser, member of the political bureau of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Gaza, said the Front had received no invitation, either. However, he pointed out that Cairo might have sent it to the movement leaders in Damascus. Jameel el-Majdalawi, member of the political bureau of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said the Front had received Egypt's invitation to the first session of the dialogue next Thursday. He then added that the Front's delegation would arrive in Cairo next Wednesday. Wasil Abou Youssef, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Front, said his front had received the Egyptian invitation to an enlarged meeting attended by the factions' secretaries general next Thursday. He also added that the Egyptian officials had informed him that the dialogue would start on February 26. Meanwhile, yesterday Egypt exceptionally opened Rafah crossing for humanitarian cases and Palestinians stranded on both sides of the border. Today, the crossing will continue to be used by patients and humanitarian cases throughout the day. A Palestinian medical source declared yesterday that four Palestinians died because of the collapse of a tunnel along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
