After years of overt rivalry between Hamas, the rulers of Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, Hamas has voiced willingness to allow the PA back into Gaza, the Hezbollah-linked Lebanese media outlet Al Mayadeen reported Tuesday.
According to the report, Hamas representatives expressed this sentiment during the latest round of reconciliation talks in Cairo.
The two main Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, have been at odds since Hamas violently routed the Fatah leadership from Gaza in 2007, resulting in a split of the Palestinian Authority. Currently, the PA reigns over the West Bank, and Hamas is the exclusive ruler of the Gaza Strip.
According to the Lebanese news outlet, Hamas has now agreed to implement a 2017 reconciliation agreement, which replaced a previous agreement struck in 2011, under which the Palestinian Authority's rule would be restored in Gaza. However, Hamas conditioned the move on the establishment of a unity government including both Fatah and Hamas within 45 days.
A similar effort was made in 2014, but the unity government quickly collapsed leading to a renewed impasse between the two rival factions.
This time, Hamas' key stipulation, which could scupper the entire deal, is that the PA agree to hold general elections within six months in Gaza and the West Bank. The PA may reject this condition for fear that Hamas will win the election and essentially take over the West Bank, in addition to remaining in power in Gaza.
Last October, the two sides arrived at a compromise agreement, six years after signing the previous deal. Ultimately, however, the agreement was never implemented because Hamas refused to disarm.
Tensions between Fatah and Hamas have mounted in recent months, with the PA imposing painful sanctions on Gaza in an effort to pressure Hamas to reconcile. The intra-Palestinian tensions have also impacted Hamas' clashes with Israel.
In addition to withholding salaries from Gaza officials, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has also undermined Hamas efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement with Israel, claiming that Hamas does not have the authority to do so on behalf of the Palestinian people.
