Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has dispatched two envoys to Syria to talk with Khaled Meshal, the exiled leader of Hamas according to Ha'aretz.
The envoys were reportedly sent to discuss the crisis with Israel in the Gaza Strip.
The Damascus-based Meshal has so far declined to tone down Hamas' militant stance over the crisis that began with the abduction of an Israel Defense Forces soldier, which led to the IDF current ground operation in Gaza to free Corporal Gilad Shalit and halt Qassam rocket fire against Israeli targets.
Neither Taysir Khaled, an official from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine who sits on the PLO Executive Committee, or Abdullah Khorani, an independent and former members of the executive committee, belong to Abbas' Fatah movement, nor are they considered directly linked to the PA chairman.
Relations between Abbas and Meshal have soured over the past few months, after the Hamas leader insinuated in a speech that Abbas acts on behalf of Israel and the United States. In the speech, Meshal also indirectly accused the PA chairman of attempting to topple the Hamas government.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Amir Peretz told the cabinet that in addition to Israel's military operation in Gaza, diplomatic efforts continue via Egypt and other channels to press Damascus into putting pressure on Hamas.
Hamas will pay a political price for this, and they will end up with a backlash from the Palestinian people themselves. Meshal is sitting in comfort in Damascus while his actions are drawing down suffering on his own people. Do you think they won't notice that?
