In what could be the start of a massive shake-up in the Palestinian power structure, Hamas has publicly agreed to all major demands by President Mahmoud Abbas for a reconciliation deal with Fatah, meant to lead to elections and a unity government.
To that end, Hamas has dissolved the Administrative Committee that currently runs the Gaza Strip, and has suggested they are ready to hand over Gaza to a government of reconciliation that would prepare for the elections.
Egypt has been pushing the reconciliation deal, but it’s not clear how into this proposal the Abbas government is, or whether they’re willing to risk unification and free elections that they might not win. The 2007 split, after all, came after a decisive Hamas win in the elections, and Abbas refusing to respect the results.
There are still a lot of questions to be resolved about this unification, but the pressure is definitely on Abbas now, given his party’s recent struggles in, even in elections boycotted by the real rival parties. Reunification would be a major change, and would give the Palestinians a unified force to participate in Israeli peace talks.
This is a necessary step. Palestine must be unified and responsible, or negotiations with Israel will never proceed.
Hopefully, Hamas is being honest this time.
lol
The Palestinians can be unified with the PLO for a peace agreement and than kick Abas out of power and return to the war they always want to have If they did anything else they would not be honest Muslims ? Muslims have to win , It is Muslim law
Hamas was nurtured and created by the Zionists to act as a foil toward the PLO. It worked, except one has to be careful what they wish for.
But we are trained today to have a memory if a fruit fly — how many people remember this.
Egypt has helped Gaza lately with fuel to have electricity for mire ghen rwo hours a day. There is a grest deal of interest lately in the living conditions in Gaza. There is some synergy and coordination visible. It is possible that a new leadership emerges. The continuing problem in any peace process with Israel thus far has been the one of Palestinian leadership. No matter who won elections, Israel never trully recognized the legitimacy of Palestinian leadership. This must change, and whiever gets the leadership position must get some international backing in order to resume the deliberations that would end the occupation.