Swiss delegation leaves Gaza without agreement

A Swiss delegation which proposed a plan to solve the issue of Palestinian employees recruited by the Hamas government in Gaza, has left the Strip without reaching an agreement, Anadolu has reported.

An informed source said that the delegation met with representatives of five Palestinian factions while in Gaza. It did not, however, reach an agreement with Hamas about the crisis because of a “number of outstanding issues”. The Swiss did, though, agree with Hamas to continue their discussions until they reach a full agreement on all of the outstanding differences.

One of the issues in question that Hamas rejected was a security check for Hamas employees. The movement insists that nobody involved in resistance against the Israeli occupation will be excluded.

In addition, Hamas refused to accept the make-up of the managing committee designated to oversee the employee file because it was formed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas alone; the PA chief did not refer to Hamas at all.

According to the source, Hamas insists on the committee including some of its members according to what was agreed upon in the Palestinian reconciliation agreement. The Swiss delegation accepted this demand and said that it would be discussed with Abbas.

Switzerland proposed a solution for the Gaza employees in October last year; the proposal included a UN-monitored solution. On 11 March, Palestine’s Ambassador to the UN, Ibrahim Khreisheh, said that President Abbas had accepted the proposal.