US envoy Greenblatt in Egypt for talk on Palestinian reconciliation

US peace envoy Jason Greenblatt is in Egypt for talk on the Palestinian reconciliation process between Fatah and Hamas, a senior White House official says.

“The United States is closely monitoring the reconciliation efforts and is in frequent contact with Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and Israel,” the official says in a statement. “Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt has traveled to Egypt to meet with senior officials about the status of reconciliation. He will also work with the Government of Egypt on the basic principles outlined in his earlier statement today so we can help facilitate an enduring peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

Earlier Thursday, Greenblatt issued a statement affirming that “any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence, recognize the State of Israel, accept previous agreements and obligations between the parties – including to disarm terrorists – and commit to peaceful negotiations. If Hamas is to play any role in a Palestinian government, it must accept these basic requirements.”