Unofficial summit discusses handover of government in Gaza

A high-profile unofficial summit has been held in Brussels to discuss the handover of the Palestinian government in the besieged Gaza Strip, Wafa reported on Friday. According to the Palestinian Authority news agency, the Swedish Foreign Ministry invited Russia, the US, the EU, Egypt, Norway and the PA to participate in the discussions.

Azzam Al-Ahmad, representing the PA, introduced a report about the latest developments regarding the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian factions. He spoke about the measures taken to end the internal Palestinian division, the return of the Palestinian government of national accord to Gaza and the obstacles that it encountered in trying to implement the reconciliation deal signed on 14 October last year in Cairo.

“After listening to the report,” said Wafa, “the participants discussed the role of the international community to remove the obstacles ahead of the reconciliation, considering this to be a basic condition to end the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

Most of those taking part apparently stressed the importance of ensuring that the financial and political conditions needed to treat the effects of ending the division are in place. These will provide employment opportunities and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip through the legitimate authority.

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