Despite numerous failures in the past, many Palestinians and officials involved in the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation seem optimistic about this attempt. They now are evaluating the potential economic effects of the national consensus agreement signed Oct. 12 that reunites Fatah, which controls the West Bank, and Hamas, which administers the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) met Oct. 3 in Gaza for the first time since 2014, and the consensus government said Oct. 20 it will rotate its weekly meetings between Gaza and the West Bank. PA ministers will visit Gaza this week.