GAZA GOVERNMENT RELEASES 6 FATEH AFFILIATES IN UNITY GESTURE

(Source: Ma’an News Agency)

Gaza City, 7 Rajab 1435/6 May 2014 (MINA) – The Interior Ministry in Gaza Fathi Hammad granted a pardon to six Fateh-affiliated citizens convicted by Palestinian courts and serving sentences.

Iyad Bezm, a spokesman for the ministry, said in a statement on his “Facebook” page on Monday evening that the decision to release the ‘security inmates’ comes in response to the unity pact recently signed between Hamas and Fateh. Al-Ray Media Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

He explained that Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh ordered the release of the Fateh convicts in line with the recommendations of the Civil Liberties reconciliation committee which met a few days ago in Gaza.

The releasees were identified as Alaa Seyam, and Jaber Nakhala, Kamal Buhaisi, Mohammed Abu Amra, Nayef Al-Sherafi, and Abdul Rahman Khaddoreh.

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Two weeks ago, the interior ministry released 10 convicts of the Fateh movement detained on security grounds, according to the instructions of Haniyeh and his interior minister Fathi Hammad.

The move took place ahead of the arrival of a PLO delegation to the Gaza Strip, with whom Hamas, which governing the Gaza Strip since 2007, stroke a national unity deal.

Previous reconciliation agreements mediated by Cairo and Doha failed to bring the two Palestinian rivals, Hamas and Fateh, together.

On April 23, the Fatah-led PLO and Hamas announced a national unity deal to end seven years of political division between the largest two Palestinian parties, with a national unity government to be set in place within five weeks.

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The division between Fatah and Hamas began in 2006, when Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections.

In the following year, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas, leaving Hamas in control of the Strip and Fatah in control of parts of the occupied West Bank.

The groups have made failed attempts at national reconciliation for years, most recently in 2012, when they signed two agreements — one in Cairo and a subsequent one in Doha — which have as of yet been unimplemented.(T/P02/P04)

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

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