BICOM

Fatah and Hamas on Wednesday agreed to a historic Palestinian reconciliation deal that will involve the formation of an interim government and set an election date within a year. The surprise announcement of a deal was finalised in Egypt yesterday following several secret meetings. Azzam al-Ahmad, the head of Fatah’s negotiating team in Cairo said that the agreement involved the formation of a government of “independent figures” and the preparation for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in “about eight months from now”. Hamas’ delegation was led by Moussa Abu Marzouk. Egypt’s Intelligence Service first reported on the news yesterday evening. Egypt plans to invite all Palestinian factions in the next few days to Cairo to sign the agreement.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised PA President Mahmoud Abbas for agreeing to reconcile with Hamas. Netanyahu said that Abbas could choose between peace with Israel or reconciliation with Hamas. “The Palestinian Authority must choose either peace with Israel or peace with Hamas. There is no possibility for peace with both. Hamas aspires to destroy Israel and fires rockets at our cities … at our children,” Netanyahu said.

Should this agreement be concluded, it will also greatly complicate the relationship between the Palestinian Authority and its principle political and economic backers in Europe and the United States. Hamas is regarded as a terrorist organisation by both the EU and the US. After Hamas won elections to the Palestinian parliament in 2006, the Quartet demanded it renounce violence, accept previous Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements, and recognise Israel, as a condition for engagement. When the Palestinians last formed a unity government in March 2007, it failed to meet these conditions. The agreement lasted only a few months before factional infighting led to Hamas ruling Gaza and the Mahmoud Abbas-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. It was the collapse of the unity government which paved the way for Western-led powers to invest heavily in Palestinian Authority state building efforts in the West Bank. Central to this effort has been intensive US support for the development of Palestinian Authority Security Forces, which have suppressed Hamas activity in the West Bank. The future of this support will now be in question.

Further reading: BICOM Analysis: Would Palestinian unity help or hinder the peace process?