Palestinians agree to work for unity government
Egypt: Rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas agreed on
Thursday to work together to set up a unity government after
Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation talks aimed at ending long-running
factional feuding.
“It is indeed a historic day,” former Palestinian premier Ahmed Qorei
said at a press conference announcing the creation of five joint
committees, including one tasked with forming a national unity
government.
Qorei, a member of the Fatah faction of Palestinian president Mahmud
Abbas, said the committees, which will also cover issues such as
security, national reconcilation, elections and reform of the umbrella
group the Palestine Liberation Organisation, would complete their work
by the end of March.
“We have started a new chapter of reconciliation and unity.”
Fatah and Hamas have long been rivals but their feuding came to a
head in June 2007 when the Islamists seized control of Gaza, routing
forces loyal to Abbas after days of deadly street battles.
The takeover, branded a coup by Abbas, split the Palestinian
territories into two separate entities and dealt a major blow to
international efforts to forge a peace deal between Israel and the
Palestinians.
Earlier, officials from two smaller Palestinian factions said the
groups involved in talks had agreed to form a unity government by the
end of March but Qorei did not confirm this deadline.
“No doubt some of the results of the committees will be immediately
implemented, such as the government committee...it will be immediately
formed and take full charge in Gaza and the West Bank,” Hamas delegation
leader Mussa Abu Marzuk told the press conference.
As part of the agreement, the factions have also agreed to release
prisoners held by Hamas and Fatah and to end a war of words being played
out in the media, Qorei said.
The international community has been pushing the Palestinians to try
to form a government it would find acceptable, as Hamas is boycotted as
a terrorist outfit by Israel and the West.
Thursday’s agreement comes just days ahead of an aid meeting for Gaza
being held on Monday in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh,
where the Palestinians are seeking billions of dollars from
international donors.
Egypt had originally called for Palestinian reconciliation talks in
November, but Hamas withdrew at the last minute, complaining that Fatah
was continuing to arrest Hamas members in the West Bank.
The reconciliation process was relaunched by Egypt after Israel’s
22-day war on Gaza that ended last month with more than 1,300
Palestinians killed and buildings and infrastructure throughout the
impoverished territory destroyed.
CAIRO, Friday, AFP
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