28.03.2024

Netanyahu on agreement between Fatah and Hamas

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office issued a commentary on the announcement of reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. On behalf of Benjamin Netanyahu, this document states that Israel will not accept such reconciliation as long as Hamas is committed to destroying Israel and is not ready to disarm.

The commentary also emphasizes that Israel insists on the return of the bodies of the beaten soldiers and Israeli citizens held in the Gaza Strip.

«Reconciliation with an organization of assassins seeking to destroy Israel does not bring peace closer, but only alienates it,» Netanyahu said in a statement.

«Which means reconciliation with a terrorist organization that seeks to destroy Israel, supports genocide, fires thousands of rockets at civilians and digs terrorist tunnels, kills children, oppresses minorities, bans the LGBT community, rejects international obligations, refuses to return the bodies of fallen Israeli soldiers to grieving mothers and fathers, tortures oppositionists, mourns the death of bin Laden? Aligning with the mass murderers is part of the problem, not the solution. Say yes to the world, not to unite with Hamas, «Benjamin Netanyahu said in an appeal to the Palestinian Authority.

Hamas commentary

Hamas Deputy Chairman of the Politburo Salah al-Aruri, who signed an agreement with Fatah on behalf of the Islamic Resistance Movement, stressed at a press conference in Cairo that his organization will continue «with all its might to oppose the Zionist project and seek the creation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state,» reports » Palestinian Information Center «.

«Reconciliation with the organization of assassins does not bring peace closer»

He also thanked the Palestinian people for years of patience, saying Hamas is serious about «ending the feud» with Fatah. He stressed that his movement relies on the government of national unity to function effectively in all Palestinian territories and to be able to solve the problems of the Gaza Strip.

It is noteworthy that although the PNA chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) announced that a «final agreement» had been reached, al-Aruri spoke of a «strategic decision on reconciliation,» which will be advanced step by step «until reconciliation is achieved.» However, he did not forget to mention the political differences with Fatah.

Judging by the fact that it was al-Aruri who signed the agreement and spoke in Cairo on behalf of the Hamas leadership, his recent appointment as deputy chairman of the political bureau of this organization was not formal, he really became the second person in the Hamas power hierarchy, relegating Musa Abu Marzouk to the background. …

In addition to Salah al-Aruri and Musa Abu Marzouk, the Hamas delegation at the talks in Cairo included the head of the Hamas government in Gaza Yahya Sanuar, his deputy Khalil al-Khaya, as well as members of the Hamas political bureau Izzat al-Rishk, Husam Badran and Salah Bardawil. Hamas Politburo Chairman Ismail Haniya followed the negotiations from Gaza.

The delegation of the Fatah Central Committee was headed by Azzam al-Ahmad, who is responsible for issues of national reconciliation in this party. In addition to him, the delegation included Hussein al-Sheikh, Ahmad Hills, PNA intelligence chief Majid Faraj and deputy secretary of the Fatah Revolutionary Council Fayez Abu Ita.

Details of the agreement between Hamas and Fatah

As part of the agreement, the leadership of Hamas undertakes to transfer the administration of the sector to the government of national unity by December 1.

Also, by December 1, Hamas undertakes to transfer control over border crossings in the Gaza Strip to Fatah. We are talking about the Erez and Kerem Shalom checkpoints on the border with Israel and the Rafah checkpoint on the border with Egypt. It is reported that the border crossings will be controlled by the «presidential guard» Mahmoud Abbas.

However, the agreement specifically stipulates that the Rafah checkpoint requires restructuring and expansion. Most likely, Ramallah and Cairo will finance this project.

The agreement stipulates that about three thousand Palestinian police officers subordinate to the PNA will serve on the territory of the Gaza Strip. But nothing has been said about how these forces will interact with the militia and the Hamas border service, which are subdivisions of the Isaddin al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s militant wing.

The issues of military control over the Gaza Strip and the activities of the Isaddin al-Qassam Brigades were not discussed at this stage. The Egyptians, who took on the role of mediators in the negotiations, warned Fatah about this a week ago.

The issue of exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas was also not discussed.

On November 14, another meeting is to be held in Cairo between representatives of Fatah and Hamas. At this meeting, the discussion of the details of the agreement will be continued.

As previously reported, the chairman of the Palestinian administration and leader of the Fatah party, Mahmoud Abbas, announced on October 12 that a «final agreement» had been reached with Hamas and «overcoming the Palestinian split.» Abbas thanked Cairo for helping organize the talks.

At the same time, they continue to say in Gaza that the PNA has not abandoned punitive measures against Hamas supporters, and in Ramallah they demand that Hamas stop persecuting political opponents in Gaza and abolish death sentences not approved by the PNA court.

Apparently, it is too early to talk about any «final agreement». Negotiations continue, which is also noted in the text of the document signed in Cairo on October 12. Even the first stage of the negotiation process has essentially been extended until December 1. If during this period the PNA does not pay back salary arrears to civil servants and security forces in Gaza, negotiations could again come to a standstill.

Negotiations on the new administration of Gaza and the maintenance of the apparatus will continue until at least February 2018, until then employees should receive regular payments, no less than their current salaries, the agreement says.

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