The Palestinian Factions Fatah And Hamas Have Signed A Reconciliation Deal

The Independent: Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas sign reconciliation deal in major breakthrough

Mending of decade-long rift between West Bank and Gaza Strip governments should help ease Gaza’s burgeoning humanitarian crisis

Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have signed a reconciliation deal – the biggest step forward for internal Palestinian relations in a decade.

The signing of a preliminary agreement in Cairo on Thursday was reached after two days of Egyptian-brokered negotiations. Fatah negotiator Azzam al-Ahmed and Hamas’s representative Saleh al-Arouri smiled and shook hands in a short ceremony presided over by Egypt’s chief of intelligence, Khalid Fawzi.

The move should ensure a unity government will once again administer both the West Bank and Gaza after the rift caused by militant group Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007.

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More News On Fatah And Hamas Signing A Reconciliation Deal

The Latest: Hamas, Fatah sign reconciliation deal in Cairo -- AP
Palestinian rivals Fatah, Hamas sign reconciliation accord -- Reuters
Palestinian rivals reach preliminary deal on governing Gaza -- Washington Post/AP
Hamas and Fatah Sign Unity Deal, Allowing Joint Control of Gaza -- New York Times
Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah end split on Gaza -- BBC News
Rival Palestinians Strike Gaza Unity Deal After Cairo Talks -- Bloomberg
Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas sign reconciliation deal -- DW
Palestinian Authority, Hamas Reach Reconciliation Deal After 10-Year Feud -- Wall Street Journal
Hamas and Fatah: How are the two groups different? -- Aljazeera

There Is No Fatah-Hamas Unity

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, left;
Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal, right
Photo from San Francisco Sentinel

Deutsceh Welle: Fatah-Hamas unity in tatters

A year after signing a reconciliation deal, the Fatah-Hamas unity government is in disarray as Fatah continues to loses support in the West Bank to Hamas. Mel Frykberg reports from Ramallah.

The fluid and rapidly changing dynamics of politics in the Middle East, where allegiances can shift dramatically, is impacting Palestinian politics and the biggest loser appears to be the Fatah-affiliated Palestinian Authority (PA) which is losing support amongst its followers and being sidelined by Hamas.

Despite promising to never negotiate with "terrorists," Israel appears to have sidelined the PA and is currently holding secret talks with Hamas to reach an understanding on a long term "quiet," which would include Israel significantly easing its blockade on Gaza. Numerous intermediaries are involved in the talks, including officials from the United Nations, Europe and Qatar.

WNU Editor: They will never agree ... the animosities run too deep.

Fatah Blames Hamas For A Series Of Gaza Bombings

No one was hurt in the near-simultaneous attacks on three Fatah leaders' homes [Reuters]

Explosions At Fatah Sites In Gaza Raise Tensions With Hamas -- New York Times

JERUSALEM — A series of small explosions rocked the homes and headquarters of several leaders of Fatah in Gaza early Friday, causing no casualties but sharpening tensions with its longtime rival, Hamas, months after they joined forces to form a new government.

Rami Hamdallah, the West Bank-based prime minister of the joint Palestinian Authority government that was formed after the reconciliation pact in April, postponed a visit to Gaza planned for Saturday along with several other ministers. A government statement cited “the recent security developments” and cast blame on “criminal groups.”

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attacks on Fatah, the mainstream Palestinian party led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

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More News On Fatah Blaming Hamas For A Series Of Gaza Bombings

Series of blasts strike Fatah targets in Gaza: officials -- Reutesr
Fatah holds Hamas responsible for Gaza bomb attacks -- AFP
Gaza Explosions Hit Senior Fatah Members’ Homes -- WSJ
Explosions hit Fatah officials in Gaza Strip -- Al Jazeera
Gaza bombings stir tension between Fatah and Hamas -- L.A. Times
Hamas responsible for Gaza attacks - Fatah -- News24
Series of blasts hits Gaza Strip ahead of Arafat memorial -- Deutsche Welle
Palestinian PM cancels Gaza visit after series of blasts -- BBC
Attacks on Fatah Targets Prompts Palestinian PM to Cancel Gaza Trip -- The Tower
Fatah, Hamas blame each other for blasts targeting homes of Fatah officials -- Jerusalem Post

Israeli Intelligence: Hamas 'Planned To Overthrow Palestinian Authority'

Hamas operatives in Gaza. Photo: REUTERS

Hamas In West Bank 'Planned To Topple Palestinian Authority' -- Jerusalem Post

Shin Bet, IDF say plot was orchestrated by Hamas overseas headquarters located in Turkey, and centered on a string of mass casualty terror attacks.

A large-scale Hamas terrorist formation in the West Bank and Jerusalem planned to destabilize the region through a series of deadly terrorist attacks in Israel and then topple the Fatah-ruled Palestinian Authority, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said Monday.

The plot was orchestrated by overseas Hamas operatives headquartered in Turkey and centered on a string of mass-casualty terrorist attacks on Israeli targets, the Shin Bet added.

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More News On Reports That Israeli Intelligence Uncovered A Hamas Pland To Overthrow Palestinian Authority

Israel says it foiled massive Hamas plot to topple Fatah -- i24
Shin Bet Foils Planned Hamas Terror Attacks to Topple Palestinian Authority -- Algemeiner
Abbas orders probe into Hamas coup plot revealed by Israel -- Times of Israel
Abbas calls for probe into Hamas coup plot -- i24
Abbas: Hamas Coup Has 'Implications' for the Palestinian People -- Arutz Sheva

Differences Between Hamas And Fatah Already Emerging On Their Palestinian National Unity Pact

Splits Emerge In Palestinian National Unity Pact Already -- The Independent

Cracks have appeared in the fledgling national reconciliation between moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement and the militant Hamas group over whether the unity government to be formed within five weeks will recognise Israel.

A day after Israel suspended the troubled Middle East peace talks in response to the Fatah-Hamas agreement reached on Wednesday, saying it would not deal with a government that is backed by Hamas, elements within Fatah took pains to stress that the new government will recognise Israel and meet two other conditions set by the international community for dealing with Hamas: renouncing violence and honouring previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.

It still remains unclear whether for Mr Abbas the agreement with Hamas was designed as a tactic to pressure Israel into meeting his demands to extend peace talks or a more strategic move based on the calculation that, nine years into his term, he needs to hold elections to renew his mandate. Polling has been impossible as long as the Hamas-Fatah rift persists because Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and can thwart it.

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My Comment: When their agreement was reached I gave them a few weeks before their "unity" agreement would start to fray .... I guess I spoke too soon..

Hamas And Fatah Reach A Reconciliation Agreement To Form A Unity Government

Hamas And Fatah Unveil Palestinian Reconciliation Deal -- BBC

Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have announced a reconciliation deal, saying they will seek to form a unity government in the coming weeks.

It comes as the peace talks between President Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel near collapse.

Hamas and Fatah split violently in 2007. Previous reconciliation agreements have never been implemented.

Israel's prime minister said Mr Abbas would have to choose between peace with Israel and peace with Hamas.

"You can have one but not the other. I hope he chooses peace; so far he hasn't done so," warned Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Abbas sent a delegation to Gaza for talks earlier this week.

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More News On Hamas And Fatah Reaching A Reconciliation Agreement To Form A Unity Government

Palestinian factions to form unity government -- Al Jazeera
Hamas, Abbas's PLO announce reconciliation agreement -- Reuters
Abbas, rival Hamas give reconciliation another try -- AP
Fatah, Hamas agree to form Palestinian unity government -- France 24
Hamas and Fatah announce Palestinian unity deal -- The National
Palestinian Factions Announce Deal on Unity Government -- New York Times
PLO and Hamas agree landmark unity pact -- The Guardian
Palestinian Groups Agree on Unity Government, Officials Say -- Bloomberg

Fatah And Hamas Agree To Form A Unity Government

Fatah, Hamas Reach Egyptian-Brokered Reconciliation -- Jerusalem Post

Parties reach agreement on interim government, set a date for elections; Hamas, Fatah leaders to be invited to Cairo for signing ceremony.

Following a series of secret meetings in Cairo and Damascus over the past few weeks, Hamas and Fatah announced on Wednesday that they have struck a deal to form a “national unity” government and hold elections after one year.

The agreement, which has been hailed by both sides as “historic,” was reached under the auspices of the Egypt’s Foreign Ministry and General Intelligence Force.

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More News On Fatah And Hamas Agreeing To Form A Palestinian Unity Government

Rival Palestinian Factions Agree on Forming Interim Government -- Voice of America
Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas 'agree to end rift' -- BBC
Palestinian officials: Unity agreement reached -- AP
Fatah, Hamas in unity govt 'understanding' -- AFP
Palestinian Groups Fatah, Hamas Agree on Preliminary Accord to End Divide -- Bloomberg
Fatah and Hamas Announce Outline of Deal -- New York Times
Palestine Rivals Fatah, Hamas Hammer Out Deal To Resolve Stand-off -- RTT News
Hamas and Fatah reach resolution -- Financial Times
Fatah-Hamas pact to include release of prisoners -- Ynet News
U.S. reacts coolly to Palestinian reconciliation -- Reuters
After Fatah-Hamas reconciliation, US plays it cool -- Jerusalem Post
Hamas-Fatah pact: Is the peace process over? -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post

My Comment: With Hamas now involved in the Palestinian government, one can kiss-off (what little that there is left) the peace process.

The West Bank's Third Intifada Approaches

From Global Post:

Rain on the streets of Bethlehem can't cool simmering tension.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — A writer seeks the surprise of a “man bites dog” story. The most violent times of the Second Intifada, which took place under the leaden winter skies of early 2002, gave me mine. I wrote about Arabs in the rain.

It was raining in the city of Jesus’ birth throughout “The Collaborator of Bethlehem,” the first of my Palestinian crime novels. I set the story during the brief Middle Eastern winter because it makes the place look different, not as one might expect.

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My Comment: Unlike the previous two Intifada's that were organized and managed by Fatah, another Intifada would involve a second partner .... Hamas. But with these two organizations fighting among themselves one can only expect a future intifada to be bloody and violent .... especially among the Palestinians.

Divided, Demoralized Palestinian Movement Hopes To Hit 'Restart'

From McClatchy News:

RAMALLAH, West Bank — For half a century, the fortunes of the Palestinian people have been inextricably linked to the fate of Fatah, the once-dominant political movement founded by Yasser Arafat. Five years after Arafat's death, the movement is divided, and hopes of establishing even a weak Palestinian state alongside Israel appear as elusive as ever.

Next week, for the first time in two decades, Fatah leaders from around the world will meet in Bethlehem at a conference they hope will be a new start. The run-up to the conference doesn't give demoralized Palestinians much reason for hope, however.

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My Comment: The McClatchy news reporter realizes what all Middle East observers have known for a long time .... there is no viable partner on the Palestinian side to negotiate peace.

As long as the Palestinians remain divided, any talk about peace will just be that .... talk.

Fatah, Hamas Split Widens Amid Gaza War

From Christian Science Monitor:

Members of the secular Fatah movement, which controls the Palestinian Authority, are divided over how the group should respond to the ongoing Israeli offensive against Hamas.

Ramallah, West Bank - As Israel's battering campaign in Hamas-run Gaza continues, pushing the Palestinian death toll toward 1,000, the Fatah-controlled West Bank has been largely quiescent.

Fatah is keeping a lid on protests, not letting West Bankers draw it into Israel's war on Hamas. Senior voices in the secular party that runs the Palestinian Authority (PA) see restraint as key to its quest for statehood. Getting entangled in Gaza, they say, would only embolden Hamas.

Others say Fatah is making a fatal mistake. Its inaction will irreparably damage its standing in the eyes of Palestinians and erode support for the group that both America and Israel view as peace partners.

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Poll: Fatah More Popular Than Hamas, But Hamas Decline Stops

From Earth Times:

Ramallah - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' secular Fatah movement would beat the radical Islamic Hamas movement if elections were held today, Palestinian public opinion poll published Thursday said. Support for Hamas nevertheless stabilized after months of decline, said the poll conducted by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research.

The poll also found out that nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of Palestinians believe that Abbas' term as president should end on January 9, as Hamas demands, and a larger number demand holding early presidential and legislative elections, as Abbas wants, if internal Palestinian reconciliation talks fail.

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Gaza’s Bloody Weekend

Masked Palestinians, members of the Fatah movement, take part in a rally against Hamas in the West Bank city of Nablus August 4, 2008. Israel sent 75 pro-Fatah Palestinians who fled the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip after clashes with the Islamist group to the West Bank on Monday after reversing a decision to return them to the coastal enclave. REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini (WEST BANK)

From Pajamas Media:

It was a bloody weekend of confrontation between Hamas and Fatah, in which 11 people were killed and more than 90 — including 12 children — were wounded in the Shujaiyyah neighbourhood, east of Gaza City, bringing back the scenes of horror thousands of Gazans are already used to experience. Except this time the blood couldn’t be blamed on Israelis.

Fear was in the air: shops were closed and few people dared to out and pass through the checkpoints Hamas security forces established around the region.

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More News On The Fatah - Hamas Conflict

Hamas frees top Fatah leader in Gaza -- Yahoo News/AFP
Sources: Fatah family held in Israel after escaping Gaza -- CNN
Hamas arrests Fatah men sent back to Gaza -- Yahoo News/AFP
Palestinians who fled Gaza en route to Jericho -- Ynet News
Israel allows Fatah fighters who fled Gaza to take refuge in West Bank -- Times Online
Fatah Gaza refugees to go to West Bank -- UPI
Fatah activists from Gaza to be sent to West Bank -- Yahoo News/AFP

My Comment: The Palestinian civil war continues.

Fatah Detains Hamas Activists As Palestinian Rift Deepens

Palestinian militants from the Islamic group Hamas take part in a training session in Gaza City, Monday, July 28, 2008. Hamas security forces fanned out across a tense Gaza Strip on Sunday, July 27, 2008, following a mysterious weekend car bombing that killed six people and sparked the toughest Hamas crackdown against its Fatah rivals in months.(AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

From The International Herald Tribune:

JERUSALEM: Tension between the rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah spread Monday from Gaza to the West Bank, with reports of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority security forces detaining more than 50 activists and academics associated with Hamas.

The timing of the arrests, which were focused in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, appeared to be in retaliation for a broad Hamas sweep against Fatah members and institutions in Gaza over the weekend.

Hamas's action followed a bomb attack late Friday that killed five Hamas militants and a young girl at the Gaza beachfront. Hamas, which controls Gaza, blamed Fatah, whose leaders denied involvement.

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More News On The Hamas / Fatah Divide

Fatah arrests Hamas activists in W.Bank -- Reuters
Fatah, Hamas arrest each other's members -- ABC News Net Australia)
Abbas wants Arab monitors in Gaza -- Jerusalem Post
Abbas call for Palestinian reconciliation meaningless: Hamas -- Monsters And Critics
Report: Torture Widespread in Palestinian Jails -- ABC News
Abbas aide: Hamas has no intention of dialogue -- China View

My Comment: After pouring multi-billions into both Gaza and the West Bank .... the people are poorer and the political structures are totally dysfunctional. The U.S., Europe, and the Arab Nations should probably ponder that a change in policy towards the Palestinians will probably be a shrewd thing to do.

I am betting that nothing will happen.