Crown Prince donates SR1 billion to support housing for eligible families    Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers discuss Oman-mediated talks with US    Prince Sultan University launches first bachelor's program in language and media    Al-Falih: Eastern Province hosts 700 investment opportunities worth SR330 billion    India demolishes houses of 10 alleged militants days after deadly Kashmir attack    Yemen's Houthis claim dozens killed in US strike on prison holding African migrants    Putin announces three-day Russian ceasefire in Ukraine from 8 May    Suspect charged after Vancouver car ramming leaves 11 dead    Rock & Roll Hall of Fame picks Outkast but not Oasis    Makkah police arrest Yemeni and Egyptian suspects of fake Hajj campaign    stc reports strong first-quarter 2025 results with 11% rise in net profit    Saudi Awwal Bank records SR2.1 billion net profit after zakat and income tax for 1Q25    Virgin Atlantic celebrates one month of nonstop service between London and Riyadh    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Hamas and Fatah face-off leaves hard road ahead for Palestinians
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 07 - 05 - 2015


Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Luke Baker


GAZA/JERUSALEM — In recent weeks, a flurry of envoys has beaten a path to Gaza's door: representatives from Qatar, Turkey, the United Nations, the European Union and former US president Jimmy Carter have all visited or tried to visit.
Yet the result has been the same: no success in reconciling Hamas, the Islamist movement that has controlled Gaza since 2007, and Fatah, the more secular, Western-backed party that runs the Palestinian administration from the West Bank.
Nearly a year since Hamas and Fatah signed a "national reconciliation" agreement, the two are no nearer to bridging their differences or tackling the mounting challenges Palestinians' face.
Fatah is convinced Hamas, which fought a war with Israel in Gaza nine months ago, is trying to carve out an Islamist fiefdom in the 360 sq. km of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas goads Fatah about its unwillingness to hold elections out of fear it will lose and Hamas will end up in full control.
Such deep internal divisions are in part the reason why Israel repeats that it has no Palestinian partner to deal with, making a return to peace negotiations near impossible.
"Hamas does not want the division to end," said senior Fatah official Amin Maqboul, adding that Hamas, whose leader lives in self-imposed exile in Qatar, has its own plan for Gaza.
"We know that Hamas has never been in favor of a Palestinian state," he said, suggesting that rather than forging unity with the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the group is determined to create an Islamist "emirate" on the Mediterranean.
For its part, Hamas says Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shows no real inclination toward reconciliation, sending envoys to Gaza rather than coming himself from the West Bank. His large home in Gaza, not far from the sea, has been turned into an office for cabinet ministers and a venue for angry rallies.
"There is nothing more we can do, no more that we can do to facilitate reconciliation," said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.
Foreign diplomats express deep frustration with the situation and tend to find blame on both sides: Hamas is authoritarian and difficult to pin down, but Abbas and Fatah seem inclined to wash their hands of Gaza, too.
"You can't impose a solution from the outside. These guys have got to sort it out themselves," said one European diplomat.
Gaza political analyst Hani Habib sees a dangerous future. "Seven years on, we are closer to having two (Palestinian) states, one in Gaza and one in the West Bank, not the two states of Palestine and Israel," he said.
Democracy on hold
The impact of the stand-off is widespread, but in two areas it is particularly problematic: it is stalling rebuilding in Gaza after the war and it is undermining democratic legitimacy, with the last Palestinian elections held nearly a decade ago.
A UN-brokered agreement with Israel to allow reconstruction materials into Gaza, where 130,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in last year's war, requires the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA) to take back control of border security and administration in Gaza.
But there is no agreement between Hamas and the PA on such cooperation. As a result there is still only a trickle of reconstruction goods and equipment flowing into Gaza, a source of intense aggravation to Gazans. — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.