RAMALLAH, West Bank — Paul Garnier, the Swiss ambassador to Palestine, visited the Gaza Strip through the Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, which is controlled by Israel, twice in a short period. The first visit was on April 6, and the second on May 9. These visits attest to the Swiss’ intensified action regarding reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, hoping to overcome the division that has plagued the Palestinian scene since 2007.

The issue of the Gaza Strip’s employees is considered one of the main disputes impeding reconciliation. It began when Hamas appointed about 40,000 employees to government ministries in Gaza after 2007 to replace previous employees, who are demanding to be employed on a full-time basis in the Palestinian Authority (PA). Switzerland is hoping to find solutions to this and other complex issues.

Within the scope of these efforts, Garnier met with Ismail Haniyeh, the deputy chairman of Hamas' political bureau, on May 10 and confirmed his country's intention to hold a conference on the Palestinian reconciliation.

Ahmed Youssef, a former political adviser to Haniyeh, told Al-Monitor, “Although the final date or form of this conference were not determined, Garnier told Haniyeh about his country’s intention to achieve reconciliation and find a solution for the issue of employees. He also offered to put forward Hamas’ point of view through a speech given by a chosen delegate or through a video conference, without an invitation being sent to Hamas to visit Switzerland and attend the conference.”