GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Given the repeated failures over the past nine years of negotiations, Palestinians are eager but not hopeful to see whether Fatah and Hamas will actually follow through on their latest reconciliation efforts in the face of numerous obstacles, including foreign pressure.
The groups held talks Feb. 7-8 in Doha, Qatar, to implement a nearly 2-year-old Palestinian pact known as the Beach Refugee Camp Agreement. Palestinians have voiced serious concerns about Qatar’s ability to successfully mediate the division that has persisted since 2007. They are asking: Why does reconciliation fail every time?