Will Israel, Turkey decide the fate of Gaza?
Reports on a possible Israeli-Turkish agreement on the construction of a floating harbor off the Gaza Strip and that would be served from Turkish Cyprus rekindled internal Palestinian wrangling between Fatah and Hamas.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Hamas leaders on Feb. 25 announced significant progress on Israeli-Turkish reconciliation negotiations, especially on a proposed floating harbor off the Gaza Strip. The negotiations have inspired optimism in the Hamas movement, but the harbor proposal evokes quite a different reaction from the Palestinian Authority (PA).
On Feb. 29, the Israeli Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said a joint Turkish-Israeli statement would be issued about the offshore harbor within days. The news angered the Fatah-controlled PA, which governs the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. However, a statement has yet to be issued as negotiations continue.
