GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — With the start of every war or confrontation with Israel, Palestinians rush to say that blood unites them. However, facts during previous wars and the internal Palestinian division prove otherwise. Media accusations between the Hamas and Fatah movements, which further deepen the division, prevail in such circumstances. But will the situation be different this time around, with the current Jerusalem intifada?
Fatah spokesman Fayez Abu Atiyeh said that recovering unity in light of the current conditions is a national urgency, and failing to achieve unity will benefit Israel, not the Palestinians and their just cause.
Abu Atiyeh told Al-Monitor that the Palestinians have united on the field, with the Gaza Strip joining the West Bank and Jerusalem in the confrontations to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque. He said, “The Gaza Strip is part of the Palestinian territories, along with the West Bank and Jerusalem. This is the message that our people seek to send through the popular intifada. This is why the factions ought to stand by the Palestinian people that are collectively defending our dignity, by achieving unity and reconciliation agreements.”
Abu Atiyeh believes the current intifada is an opportunity to achieve unity, and that the violations of holy sites and the killings of children on the Palestinian streets should be an incentive to achieve this unity.
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