GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — After the 10-year Palestinian division lasting from 2007 to 2017, Hamas and Fatah signed a national reconciliation agreement on Oct. 12 in Cairo under the auspices of Egypt.
The agreement aims to end all of the repercussions of the Palestinian division, most notably ending Hamas’ control over the Gaza Strip and its crossings and allowing the Palestinian Authority (PA) to take over Gaza’s affairs. However, the Palestinian street is wondering whether the West Bank is excluded from the implications of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement.
In an Oct. 11 interview with Al-Aqsa TV, Salah al-Bardawil, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said, “Reconciliation talks are based on several foundations, most notably the implementation of the 2011 Cairo agreement, national partnership, the rehabilitation of the PLO, the activation of the Palestinian Legislative Council to oversee the government’s work, and the inclusion of both the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in the reconciliation,” without giving any details on the mechanisms of including the West Bank in this agreement.
The clauses of the reconciliation agreement mention the Gaza Strip five times in the context of making changes to the political and living conditions in Gaza. These clauses, however, do not mention any items aimed at making changes to the situation in the West Bank.
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