Hamas/Fatah Reconciliation | The American Task Force on Palestine

Leaked cable: Israel consulted PA prior to Gaza war
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
by Jared Malsin - November 28, 2010 - 1:00am

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israel approached the PA and Egypt about potentially assuming control of the Gaza Strip following a theoretical "defeat" of Hamas before Israel's winter war on Gaza, a leaked US diplomatic cable revealed Sunday. Made public by The New York Times, the document is a report on a conversation between US Senator Bob Casey, Representative Gary Ackerman, and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak from June 2009.

Nablus governor speaks about assassination plot
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
November 23, 2010 - 1:00am

NABLUS (Ma’an) -- Nablus Governor Major General Jibrin Al-Bakri spoke out Monday for the first time about a plot revealed by PA security forces which aimed at assassinating the official. Delivering a public address in the municipality building to a visiting delegation of peace activists, joined by local officials and religious figures, Al-Bakri confirmed the media reports around the planned assassination, saying it aimed at "creating chaos in the region."

Interview: Possibility of inter-Palestinian reconciliation within coming months slim: official
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by Saud Abu Ramadan, Emad Drimly - (Interview) November 22, 2010 - 1:00am

RAMALLAH, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Wassel Abu Yousef, secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) and member of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that he rules out the possibility of a reconciliation to be reached within the coming months amid the current situation.

Israel 'risks chaos without peace', official warns
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC World News
by Ruth Gavison - November 16, 2010 - 1:00am

The Palestinian leadership could fall apart without significant progress towards peace with Israel, which would be a major setback for Israel, a senior Israeli intelligence official has said. The situation in the West Bank was the best in over a decade, he said - but warned it could lurch back into chaos. The source was speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad were the "best combination", he said.

Fatah, Hamas accuse each other for failing unity talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
November 14, 2010 - 1:00am

GAZA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The major Palestinian rival groups Fatah and Hamas on Sunday traded accusations over failure of reaching reconciliation in the second round meeting held in Syria' s capital of Damascus last week, which concentrated on the thorniest security issue. "Hamas is not interested in accomplishing reconciliation," said Jamal Muhissen, a member of Fatah Central Committee. Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is now controlling the West Bank only after losing power in Gaza in a conflict with Hamas militants in 2007.

Fatah official: Talks waste of time
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
November 12, 2010 - 1:00am

The gap between Fatah and Hamas is very big despite the recent commitment to continue talks in Damascus, head of Fatah's unity talks delegation Azzam Al-Ahmad told the Jerusalem-based Al-Quds newspaper Thursday. Outlining the basic divisions, Al-Ahmad said both sides claimed to be in charge of the legitimate security service, with Director of the PA's General Intelligence Majed Faraj and Fatah Central Committee member Sakher Bseiso holding firm on the belief that security services in the West Bank are "complete and legitimate and cannot be restructured,."

MESS Report / Fragile Palestinian unity threatened by Fatah split
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff - November 12, 2010 - 1:00am

Thousands of Palestinians filled the plaza in front of Ramallah's Muqata government complex to mark six years since Yasser Arafat's death yesterday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hailed efforts at reconciliation between his Fatah faction and its traditional rival Hamas, then in the next breath rallied the crowd against Israeli settlement building in the West Bank.

Fatah-Hamas dialogue in Damascus ends with no progress: Spokesman
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
November 11, 2010 - 1:00am

The second round of dialogue between Islamic Hamas movement and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party held in Damascus ended on Wednesday with no progress, a Hamas spokesman said. Ayman Taha, a Gaza-based Hamas spokesman told Xinhua that the second round of dialogue, which was held for two days, had ended without reaching any agreement on the thorny security issue.

Hamas nixes Arafat commemoration in Gaza Strip
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Khaled Abu Toameh - November 8, 2010 - 1:00am

As it has every year since taking control of the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007, on Monday Hamas announced its decision to ban Fatah supporters from holding a rally in the Gaza Strip to mark the anniversary of Yasser Arafat’s death. Zakariya al-Agha, member of the Fatah Central Committee, said the Hamas government had informed him formally of the decision to ban the rally, which was scheduled to be held on November 11. He said the rally, which had been planned by Fatah, was supposed to be held in Gaza City’s Katibeh Square.

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