Representatives of 12 Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, have announced the decision that elections will be held at the end of 2018, a sign that the recent reconciliation between rival groups in Gaza is cgoing strong. Two days of meetings in Cairo ended with a joint statement demanding Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas set a date for elections. The factions also agreed that the process in Gaza should be accelerated so that the PA would take full control. Although it was a positive development that the rival factions gathered and discussed current affairs, Hamas expressed its concerns on the outcome of the meeting, saying that it was vague and unable to make improvements on essential issues, including the lifting of sanctions on Gaza imposed by Abbas's government.
Reuters reported that Abbas had previously declared that "upon assuming control of Gaza he would move to lift sanctions imposed on the impoverished enclave that have included power cuts and salary reductions of 30 percent to some 60,000 Gazans employed by his Palestinian Authority."
Pointing out the potential problems on the reconciliation path, U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that the process "must not be allowed to fail."
"If it does, it will most likely result in another devastating conflict," he warned.
At the end of the meeting, two inter-factional committees called to be reinstated. One is the Social Reconciliation Committee, tasked with mending ties between Hamas and Fatah as the two factions' relations had been broken since the 2007 elections in which Hamas won control of Gaza. The second committee is the Freedoms Committee, which is expected to ensure political and civil rights. Fatah is scheduled to take control of Gaza by Dec. 1, ending 10 years of Hamas rule.
The meeting coincides with a critical time as the U.S. has recently threatened to close the Washington office of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) unless the PA lifts its campaign in the International Criminal Court (ICC). The White House also demands the Palestinian administration show eagerness for the upcoming peace initiative that will be launched soon. The statement after the meeting also condemned U.S. pressure and asked for cooperation.
The move marks the latest in developments in the reconciliation process. Last year, the two parties held meetings in Moscow, but at the beginning failed to reach a consensus. Increasing international and internal pressure on Hamas forced it to take initiative, resulting in the change of the party manifest and the main cadre.
Hamas declared its new program last May in the Qatari capital of Doha, disavowing itself from the Muslim Brotherhood, distancing itself from aims to destroy Israel and accepting the 1967 borders of the Palestinian state without referring to Israel's legitimate statehood. There are several reasons for the release of Hamas's new program, namely its attempt to better relations with Egypt to combat Daesh terrorism in North Sinai and to decrease internal pressure from the PA.
Despite the fact that Hamas has resisted handing over control of Gaza to a unified government led by the PA, it has not been successful since Abbas has pursued a policy of collective punishment on Gaza residents. Cutting off electricity, limiting the flow of oil and allying with Egypt and Israel on imposing sanctions on Hamas, Gaza was stripped of all opportunities to make its voice heard.
In addition, the emergence of extremism in North Sinai and radical groups in Gaza has forced Hamas to give way to Egypt. Hamas also seeks to develop trade in Gaza, which has been embargoed by Egypt and Israel. Thousands of illegal tunnels have been closed by Egypt amid allegations they are used by militants. Still, the Egyptian media has reported that Egyptian officials recently facilitated the transportation of construction and raw materials to Gaza after steps were taken for reconciliation.
