Hamas and Fatah’s Agreement: Where to?

Jul 08, 2020 10:06 am

The Palestinian people has suffered from internal division between Hamas and Fatah since 2007 which resulted in a political crisis in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Fatah, represented by the Palestinian Authority, controls the West Bank according to Oslo Accords, and Hamas controls the Gaza Strip at political, security and military levels.

The economy in the Gaza Strip was also severely affected because of the pressure the PA exercises on Hamas’ government; especially after 2017 plan of cutting financial support. While Hamas clung harder to the resistance project, the PA’s security forces chased down the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank and searched for any proof that shows Hamas’ failure in controlling the Strip, but the PA failed.

Insight of the Situation

Hamas’ leadership is working on reaching reconciliation with all the Palestinian representatives after years of division since 2007. The first attempt was under Khaled Mashal’s leadership, Head of Hamas Political Bureau, and Mahmoud Abbas, President of the PA; and it was under the auspices of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The agreement was called ‘Mecca Agreement’. However, the PA did not adhere to its constituents, so it failed.

The Palestinian society remained broken until the second agreement in 2011 (the Palestinian National Reconciliation Agreement). Both parties signed under the auspices of the Palestinian factions in Cairo in order to form a national unity government in 2014. The 2017 agreement was for agreeing on the implementation mechanisms of 2011 agreement, but the two parties disagreed, so it was a complete failure.

Recently, Hamas and Fatah held a conference joining Jibril Rajoub, Secretary of PLO’s Executive Committee, and Saleh Al-Arouri, Deputy of Hamas’ Political Bureau, on resisting the annexation plan. The conference’ aim was to restore the trust of the Palestinians, who have lost hope in the realization of reconciliation.

Possible Scenarios

  1. The Palestinian reconciliation attempts succeed, the PA unleashes the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank, and allows the entry of money to the Strip.
  2. The Palestinian reconciliation attempts fail, each party adheres to its demands, and the security forces chase the armed Palestinian resistance in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The second scenario is the one most likely to happen. Each party will adhere to its demands. The PA’s agreement with Hamas means its recognition of armed resistance, which the PA completely rejects. In addition, such agreement indicates the PA’s denunciation of its agreements with the occupation (such as Oslo Accords and Paris Protocols). If the PA risks it and cancels its agreements with ‘Israel’, the latter would replace it with another leadership that goes in-line with its ideology.

The real test of this agreement is the execution of a military operation against the occupation in the West Bank. Based on previous experience, the PA will prevent the resistance work; hence end the agreement.

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