Hamas’ decision to end its 10-year-old running feud with the rival Fatah movement is certainly welcome. It will help strengthen the fight for the Palestinian cause and rally against the repressive actions of Israel. Hamas seemed to have realised its folly and has agreed to hold talks with Fatah, dissolve the Gaza administrative committee and hold general elections. These moves will pave the way for a united Palestinian front that can uphold the aspirations of its people in the Occupied Territories.
The Palestinian fight for justice seemed to lose steam after Hamas decided to go separate ways. Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took full advantage of the rupture in the Palestinian ranks and stepped up its inhuman actions against Palestinians. They continued to usurp and colonise more Palestinian land, besides piling more agony on Palestinians with their actions that include cutting power supply to Gaza, not paying salaries to Palestine National Authority staff and preventing entry to Al Haram Al Sharif for Muslim worshippers.
In this context, the reconciliation move by Hamas is indeed laudable. But first, Hamas has to distance itself from its Islamist influences. It also has to come clean on its relations with Iran and Qatar: Any lingering or vestigial links to Tehran or Doha will attract scorn and anger from the Gulf Cooperation Council. So Hamas has to reassess its policies, alliances, ideologies and stances if it is keen on Palestinian reconciliation.
Palestinians around the world are overjoyed by Hamas’ move. The onus is now on the Palestinian group to take concrete measures to end Gaza Strip’s isolation from the rest of Palestine and the Arab world. And that can only strengthen Palestinians’ hands.
