Gaza – Ma’an – Gaza’s de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said “the signing of the reconciliation agreement is near,” and affirmed his party’s approval for the framework of the agreement in an interview aired Tuesday.

The “Hamas position on the Egyptian proposal is positive,” he said, “because it constitutes the regulatory framework of national reconciliation.”

Haniyeh also said he believes the proposal will be ready for signing after some parts are elaborated on during talks in October. Division will end as soon as the proposal is signed, he said.

“If everything goes according to the agreement, the elections will be held in a time that it is agreed upon,” indicating he feels accord will be reached over the Fatah hesitation over postponing the elections, as per the Egyptian plan, to the “first half of 2010.”

Haniyeh said Palestinians are at an “important step which is the end of the abnormal situation. The normal situation is that we are one people with one government and we are serious in reaching that.”