Hamas and its rival Fatah to end split, reunify government

CAIRO – 25 September 2017: Hamas and its rival, Fatah, have taken steps to reconcile and pave the way for the reunification of the Palestinian government, in order to end the decade of division between the West Bank and Gaza.

Hamas, the militant group ruling Gaza, said that it was prepared to accept the demands of the President of the Palestinian authority Mahmoud Abbas, to end the split with Fatah by dismantling its administrative committee that is ruling Gaza, and by holding general elections in West Bank and Gaza also.

The Palestinian government has declared that it will visit the Gaza Strip on October 2 upon orders given by President Abbas, along with the Fatah member to assume government responsibility in the southern governorates after Hamas has invited them with the consensus government to come to Gaza to practice its mission and carry out its duties in the Gaza strip, according to the spokesperson of the Palestinian government.

This was made after delegations from Hamas and Fatah held separate talks in Cairo for reconciliation in recent days the Egyptian intelligence service acting as mediators.

Fatah’s Central Committee (the highest decision-making body of the Palestinian Authority) praised Egypt’s efforts in the inter-Palestinian reconciliation on Saturday.

Hamas has been greatly weakened by an Israeli and Egyptian blockade as its economy is in tatters after the war, and residents of Gaza only have electricity for a few hours a day. Abbas has made use of this situation by putting financial pressure on Hamas through increasing the electricity payments in Gaza to force Hamas to accept his demands.