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Hamas to resume reconciliation efforts with Fatah, Haniyeh says

January 2, 2021 at 1:55 pm

Hamas’ political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh greets supporters during a visit to the Ain el-Helweh camp, Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, near the southern coastal city of Sidon on September 6, 2020 [MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images]

Head of Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh revealed on Friday that efforts are being exerted to resume internal talks ahead of reaching a reconciliation agreement.

In a statement, a copy of which was sent to MEMO, Haniyeh announced: “There are new efforts being exerted to restore national dialogue ahead of achieving reconciliation, which is the cornerstone of resisting Israeli occupation and facing off conspiracies aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause.”

He added: “We are currently carrying out many internal and external contacts to push these efforts to succeed and continue the steps towards reconciliation with Fatah and the other Palestinian factions.”

The top Hamas leader stressed: “Hamas works on achieving unity by restructuring the Palestinian institutions, including the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) or the Palestinian Authority (PA), based on partnership and national consensus and according to the will of the Palestinian people inside Palestine and in the diaspora.”

Recent national unity talks were near conclusion before the announcement of a national reconciliation agreement. However, PA, Fatah and PLO President Mahmoud Abbas announced on 17 November, 2020, the resumption of security talks with Israel.

All Palestinian factions criticised this move and accused Abbas of undermining efforts to regain Palestinian unity after, according to a united statement, “throwing himself between the arms of Israel.”

Read: Abbas impatient to resume unconditional talks with Israel