Hamas, Abbas to reconcile after Palestinian gov’t procedures

CAIRO - 3 August 2017: Hamas announced a seven-point reconciliation initiative with the Palestinian Authority and President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday after the government fired thousands of Gaza employees in response to the committee set up by Hamas to manage the sector.

“Hamas is extending its hand to the Palestinian reconciliation on clear, sound and in-depth bases," Hamas political bureau member, Salah al-Bardawil said in a statement received by Agence France Presse, calling for "immediate cancellation of all measures imposed on Gaza under the pretext of forming a state administrative committee."

He announced that Hamas is ready to end the government committee for its emergency mission as soon as the Unity Government of Palestine (national consensus government) resumes its responsibilities in the Gaza strip.

The Palestinian government headed by Rami al-Hamdallah in early July transferred more than 6,000 of its employees in the Gaza Strip to early retirement. This was after the government stopped paying electricity bills to Israel in order to feed the people, leading to a reduction in the electricity supply.

The measures came under pressure after Hamas announced in March a seven-member "administrative committee" for the Gaza Strip.

Bardawil stressed "the immediate commencement of national dialogue and consultations to form a government of national unity and enable the Palestinian Legislative Council by consensus to carry out its duties."

The Hamas initiative also included "preparing for legislative, presidential and national council elections and holding an immediate meeting of the PLO's provisional leadership framework for making binding national decisions for all."

Abbas met last Tuesday at the presidential headquarters in the city of Ramallah with a Hamas delegation headed by Nasser al-Shaer.

The official Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) said that during the meeting, "the general situation was reviewed, as well as ways of strengthening national unity and ending the division and restoring unity to the land and the Palestinian people."

The Palestinian Legislative Council has not met since 2007, the year Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip and expelled Fatah.

No presidential elections have been held since 2005, and Abbas has remained in power despite the end of his presidency.

The rift came after Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections. However, the international community refused to accept the Hamas government and demanded that the movement first renounce violence, recognize Israel and respect agreements between the Palestinians and Israeli leaders. The situation developed into Hamas being a separate entity and engaging in bloody clashes with the Abbas forces.

President Abbas's movement and Hamas signed a national reconciliation accord in April 2014, followed by the formation of a national consensus government. However, Hamas and Fatah failed to settle their differences and did not actively join the government.