On Sunday, Hamas declared its acceptance of an invitation from the Palestinian Authority's chairman, Mahmoud 'Abu Mazen' Abbas, to convene a gathering of Palestinian faction leaders in Cairo. The primary objective of this meeting is to explore the feasibility of establishing a new Palestinian unity government that would include representation from all factions, including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
The decision to hold this meeting was prompted by the recent military operation by the Israel Defense Forces in the Jenin refugee camp. The gathering is expected to take place at the end of this month in Cairo, with invitations extended to the leadership of all factions, even including the designated terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The announcement of this gathering followed an emergency meeting in Ramallah, where the Palestinian leadership discussed strategies to achieve unity and present a comprehensive national stance against "Israeli aggression."
Why convince the world? Convince Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad of the value of liberty, that Palestinians are not a monolithic bloc but come in all sizes and shapes and opinions, that they can eat in public in Ramadan or be LGBTQ or call for peace with Israel without fear of social… https://t.co/DQpYLXrnzN
— Hussain Abdul-Hussain (@hahussain) July 18, 2023
Senior Fatah officials allied with Abu Mazen emphasize that, despite internal disagreements among Palestinians, it is crucial to reach national agreements that can put an end to divisions. They acknowledge that one of the topics on the agenda might involve advancing steps to establish a broad Palestinian national unity government.
However, in Ramallah, it is asserted that any members of a new government should adhere to the idea that the PLO, which the United States designated as a terror organization in the late 1980s, is the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people. Moreover, they must also agree to abide by the plans and decisions made by the PLO over the years. Notably, both Hamas and Islamic Jihad do not recognize Israel or the Oslo Accords. It is worth mentioning that despite the PLO's recognition of Israel when signing the Oslo Accords, Abbas has made statements in the past denying Israel's Jewish nature and overall legitimacy.
Palestine: Palestinian group holds talks with Egypt's intelligence chief https://t.co/Ywzjt9zpHH
— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) July 24, 2023
This initiative enjoys support from Egypt, and due to its significance, there is a possibility that Abu Mazen may also participate in the conference. The last time a broad Palestinian government was established was in 2014, led by Rami Hamdallah, following a reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip's Shatti refugee camp, leading to the creation of a "government of national consensus."
Earlier, in 2006, the first national unity government was formed under the leadership of Hamas's Ismail Haniya. However, both of these governments were short-lived due to violent conflicts between Fatah and Hamas that broke out when Hamas wrestled control from the PLOs Fatah in Gaza, in what was one of the modern era's bloodiest coups in the region.
Egypt intelligence chief meets with PFLP ahead of Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo - Foreign Affairs - Egypt - Ahram Online https://t.co/qpVbnz44qH
— Av Aleksandr (@abbaleksandr) July 23, 2023
Hamas's decision to participate in the gathering came after the Palestinian Authority's security mechanisms released Sheikh Mustafa Abu Ara, a senior Hamas official in northern Samaria, from detention. Hamas had threatened to boycott the Cairo meeting if the Sheikh was not released, but his release facilitated their involvement.
