Gaza quiet after Palestinian reconciliation deal
The latest reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah was not met with fanfare in the Gaza Strip, as locals remain skeptical on whether the deal will be implemented.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister of Gaza’s government, declared the end of the seven-year Palestinian split between Fatah and Hamas and agreed to form a unity government in five weeks to prepare for elections at the end of 2014.
Hamas met with a PLO delegation headed by Azzam al-Ahmad over two days this week, during which the two sides held scattered meetings to reach an agreement on how to implement the terms of previous agreements made in Cairo and Doha.
At the start of the press conference held on April 23 at his home, Haniyeh said, “It is a great honor to announce, from this modest house in the Al-Shati refugee camp, the end of the split and to witness this historic time in the life of the Palestinian people.”
During the press conference, which was attended by Al-Monitor, Haniyeh said that the delegations acted with high national responsibility during the dialogue, which happened with the blessing of both President Mahmoud Abbas and the head of Hamas’ political bureau Khaled Meshaal.
