The announcement yesterday that Hamas has endorsed a proposal by Qatar in which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will assume the role of prime minister in an interim unity government is very significant. It represents a major breakthrough in terms of reconciliation efforts for the two rival factions, which for four years led two separate governments in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and the West Bank, ruled by the Palestinian National Authority.
It's high time both sides put their differences aside and focus on what is important: fighting the Israeli occupation and intransigence, representing the Palestinian people in the best way they could, and preparing for statehood. It was almost a year ago that Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo, which should have paved the way for the formation of a unity government and prepared for parliamentary elections on May 4. This new deal should see that the right steps are taken towards making sure fair and free elections are held on time and without complications. "We are serious, both Fatah and Hamas, in healing the wounds and ending the chapter of division and reinforcing reconciliation," Hamas leader Khalid Mesha'al said after the deal was signed in Doha.
The ‘Qatar Agreement' is most significant for Gaza, which since the last Palestinian parliamentary elections that saw Hamas winning, has been isolated internationally. A united Palestinian front will strengthen the Palestinian position in dealing with Israel, which for years used their division as an excuse to carry out all sorts of illegal actions like colony construction and expansion, the building of the apartheid wall and redrawing of borders. The onus is on the international community, the US in particular, to welcome this reconciliation and support the Palestinians in their next chapter, especially when elections are held. A repeat of the reaction to the last election would be catastrophic for everyone, especially the people of Gaza.
