Latest Fatah, Hamas Reconciliation Bid Announced in Gaza

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, shaking hands with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal

Gaza City, 24 Rabiul Akhir 1437/3 February 20166 (MINA) – A senior Hamas official on Tuesday announced details of the latest initiative for national reconciliation between rival Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas.

Ahmad Bahr, a member of Hamas and deputy speaker for the Palestinian parliament, the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), said during a press conference in Gaza City that the initiative hoped to establish a national unity government composed of all Palestinian factions.

He said that as soon as this government was formed, it was hoped the PLC would convene, in what would be its first session since 2007.

Bahr said the initiative would also agree on dates for legislative, presidential, and national council elections across the occupied Palestinian territory, and would work toward new elections for the Palestinian National Council (PNC), the PLO’s legislative body.

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He called on Fatah and Hamas to meet their “historical, national, and humanitarian responsibilities” to reunite the Palestinians, and applauded the upcoming meeting between the two movements in Doha this week, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted Ma’an as reporting.

The meeting, currently scheduled for Feb. 6, was announced by Hamas official Ismail Radwan on Saturday and is the latest in a series of attempts to reconcile the two movements since they violently fell out with one another in 2007.

The Palestinian leadership has repeatedly failed to follow through on promises of reconciliation and holding of long-overdue elections. Both movements have frequently blamed each other over these failures. (T/R07/R01 )

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)