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Egypt bets on controversial Hamas leader

The return of Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk to the Gaza Strip signals the return of Egypt as a broker in Palestinian politics.
Mousa Abu Marzouk (L), a politburo member of Hamas, embraces Farouk Kaddoumi, Palestinian head of the political department of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and a leader of the Fatah movement, at a ceremony for Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) in a Palestine refugee camp near Damascus May 12, 2006.  REUTERS /Khaled al-Hariri - RTR1DBFA

News on the Palestinian reconciliation front has taken a positive turn. The first practical steps will feature the creation of a technocratic government responsible for civil affairs in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This development promises to open a new chapter not only in Palestinian governance but also on the diplomatic playing field between Israel and a revitalized Palestinian Authority (PA).

Success always has many authors, but in this case progress on the reconciliation file is the product of an unusual convergence of interests of all the major parties — the Palestinians first and foremost, but also the unlikely trio of Egypt, Israel and the United StatesMousa Abu Marzouk, Hamas’ number two political leader and head of the movement’s reconciliation delegation, is at the center of this circle. His all-but-permanent presence in Gaza is a clear reflection of the wide-ranging support of this unusual coalition for a historic Palestinian rapprochement.

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