Fatah, Hamas to discuss unity government Sunday
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

Fatah and Hamas officials will meet in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the composition of a unity government, Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said Thursday. Leaders of the major Palestinian parties are already in the Egyptian capital ahead of series of meeting designed to hammer out the details of the long-stalled 2011 reconciliation agreement. A joint government to oversee fresh elections and reunite the West Bank and Gaza is a key component of the deal.

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Palestinian Authority Faces Crisis Over Salaries
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Omar Shaban - (Opinion) February 4, 2013 - 1:00am

The financial crisis facing the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has left it unable to pay its employees, has had negative consequences for Palestinian society. The crisis has affected the PA’s popularity and the stability of Palestinian society, and it has increased anger and tension between the PA and the people.

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Official: Abbas to convene PLO reform summit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 1, 2013 - 1:00am

An independent politician said Thursday that President Abbas will convene a summit of the PLO reform committee next Friday in Cairo. The leadership of Hamas and Islamic Jihad will participate in the summit along with other parties, Yasser al-Wadiyeh, head of a coalition of independents, he said. The committee to restructure the PLO was formed in the wake of a May 2011 reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas that was never implemented.

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'Hamas leader Mashaal seeking presidency of PLO'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
January 29, 2013 - 1:00am

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal is seeking to take over the presidency of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, currently chaired by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the London-Based daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported on Monday. According to the report, Mashaal's desire to chair the PLO is behind his decision not to stand for reelection to his position as chairman of Hamas's Political Bureau.

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Palestinian fighter, rebel dies in Damascus
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Albert Aji - January 29, 2013 - 1:00am

A hard-line Palestinian military commander who rebelled against leader Yasser Arafat to form his own rival party died in Damascus on Tuesday, according to his representatives and hospital officials. Said Musa Maragha, better known by his nom de guerre, "Abu Musa," was 86. They said Maragha died of cancer. Maragha, a Jordanian of Palestinian descent, defected from the Jordanian army in 1970 over tensions between the military and Palestinian fighters who were using the kingdom as a base to carry out attacks against Israel.

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Hamas says next inter-Palestinian talks in Egypt
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Jamal Halaby - January 28, 2013 - 1:00am

AMMAN, Jordan — Reconciliation talks between Palestinian militant group Hamas and its rival Fatah are on track and will resume in Egypt on Feb. 9, Hamas' political leader said Monday. Khalid Mashaal said that "obstacles" over crucial issues such as elections and a future government remain, but that he expected progress in talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

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Abbas asks Israel to let in Palestinians fleeing Syria
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Noah Browning - January 25, 2013 - 1:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tried to get Israel to let 150,000 Palestinians fleeing war in Syria resettle in the West Bank, but dropped the request after the Jewish state demanded they first give up their right of return, he said. Syria is home to around 500,000 Palestinian refugees, some of whom have been fleeing the country because of civil war between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and fighters seeking to topple his government.

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Hamas and Fatah No Closer To Settling Their Differences
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Dalia Hatuqa - (Opinion) December 17, 2012 - 1:00am

Amid the unprecedented West Bank celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of Hamas’ founding, questions are arising as to whether the Islamist Movement and Fatah are finally one step closer to reconciling their political differences. 

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Abbas blasts Mashaal: We already recognized Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Elior Levy - December 13, 2012 - 1:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blasted Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal for asserting that his group will never recognize Israel, hinting that the statement hinders the chances of the two-state solution, according to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.

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After Abbas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Jonathan Schanzer - (Opinion) December 13, 2012 - 1:00am

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas went to the United Nations last month and brought his people one step closer to statehood. But amid all the fanfare, Western diplomats quietly conceded that the General Assembly vote to upgrade the Palestinians' U.N. mission was not simply a step taken to advance their national project. It also reflected a desire to counter Hamas's growing influence, particularly after the Gaza-based terrorist group claimed victory in its war with Israel in November.

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