Fatah-Hamas historic agreement in Algeria
The conflicting parties and groups of the country are uniting to establish Palestine as an independent state, forgetting all differences and disputes. To that end, the leaders of the groups have signed an important memorandum of understanding. An outline has been formulated under the agreement signed in Algeria.
There is also talk of Palestinian national unity as well as a united struggle against Israeli occupation. At the same time, it has been said that elections will be held within the next one year.
The agreement was signed on Thursday (October 13) after a two-day meeting mediated by Algeria. Fourteen political parties and groups, including the Palestinian National Liberation Movement Fatah and the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, signed the agreement. It is being called a historic deal. Through this, the stakeholders hope that the division and disagreement between Fatah and Hamas of the last 15 years will be removed.
According to Algerian news agency, the agreement called 'Algiers Declaration' emphasized on resolving the differences between different political parties of Palestine through dialogue and negotiation. It says that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian nation. Various parties have agreed to effectively implement the National Accord.
In this outline of building a new Palestine, there is a commitment to take practical steps to establish national unity by ending the differences between the conflicting parties. For this reason, it has been proposed to consolidate the political partnership between the Palestinian forces through elections in the West Bank and Gaza, including the Palestinian-inhabited towns. Elections will be held in the country within one year from the date of signing of the MoU.
In a speech after the signing ceremony of the agreement, the top official of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement Fatah, Azam Al Ahmed, strongly affirmed the implementation of the agreement. He said, this agreement is to get rid of the cancer of division in the body of Palestine. The contract will be implemented at any cost.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas called this agreement a joyous occasion for Algeria and Palestine. The head of the party's political wing, Ismail Haniah, expressed his satisfaction and said, "We are satisfied and optimistic about the results of the discussions held in a positive environment."
Hania also said that we welcome Algeria's initiative to establish Palestinian unity. The Algerian government has taken this initiative from the place of national responsibility and historical and emotional connection with the Palestinian people.
He also said that the Algerian team involved in organizing this dialogue has been active for almost a year with patience and the policy of not imposing one side's point of view on the other side or interfering. The results of which have naturally been good. We have been able to overcome challenges against Palestinian interests.
The meeting started at the National Palace in the capital Algiers with the mediation of the Algerian President Abdel Majid Tebbon last Tuesday. Fatah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met after a long time in the meeting. Top leaders of Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad attended the meeting.
Since the landslide victory of Hamas in the 2007 elections and the assumption of power in the Gaza Strip, the conflict between the Palestinian factions has become evident. Earlier talks between the two sides failed to yield any results due to disagreements over the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Fatah leaders' reluctance to hold elections in the Palestinian territories has also widened the distance with Hamas.
Although the elections were scheduled last year, Mahmoud Abbas postponed the elections indefinitely citing the fact that the negotiations with Israel on the voting of the Palestinian residents of Jerusalem have not been completed. Allegedly, Abbas wants to use the Palestinian vote in Jerusalem to maintain his power. The popularity of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip is on the rise. Abbas' popularity in the West Bank has also declined due to accusations of conflict with Israel.
The Algiers Declaration recognized the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority (PA) as the representative of the Palestinian Authority and set the conditions for holding immediate elections. In addition, the Arab League has been given the opportunity to observe how the various parties in Palestine are enforcing, interpreting and applying this agreement.
