Hamas Says Ready to Reconcile with Fatah, Hold Elections in Gaza
Hamas said on Sunday it would dissolve the Gaza administrative committee, allowing a Palestinian unity government to work in its place and move toward general elections
IsraelDefense
| 17/09/2017
Yehiya Sinwar, left, with Ismail Haniyeh (Photo: AP)
Hamas announced it is ready to dissolve the administration it had established in recent months to manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip, hold general elections and begin direct reconciliation talks with the Fatah movement, according to Haaretz.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Hamas said it has accepted key conditions set by President Mahmoud Abbas and dissolved the Gaza administrative committee, a body viewed by Abbas' Palestinian Authority as a parallel government, Al-Jazeera reported.
CNN adds that the announcement comes after days of indirect negotiations between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo.
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since the brief Palestinian civil war of 2007, said it had taken "a courageous, serious and patriotic decision to dissolve the administrative committee" that runs the territory of 2 million people and hand power to some form of unity government.
A senior Fatah leader, Mahmoud Aloul, welcomed the pledge but told Voice of Palestine radio: "We want to see that happening on the ground before we move to the next step."
Hamas said on Sunday it would dissolve the Gaza administrative committee, allowing a Palestinian unity government to work in its place and move toward general elections
Yehiya Sinwar, left, with Ismail Haniyeh (Photo: AP)
Hamas announced it is ready to dissolve the administration it had established in recent months to manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip, hold general elections and begin direct reconciliation talks with the Fatah movement, according to Haaretz.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Hamas said it has accepted key conditions set by President Mahmoud Abbas and dissolved the Gaza administrative committee, a body viewed by Abbas' Palestinian Authority as a parallel government, Al-Jazeera reported.
CNN adds that the announcement comes after days of indirect negotiations between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo.
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since the brief Palestinian civil war of 2007, said it had taken "a courageous, serious and patriotic decision to dissolve the administrative committee" that runs the territory of 2 million people and hand power to some form of unity government.
A senior Fatah leader, Mahmoud Aloul, welcomed the pledge but told Voice of Palestine radio: "We want to see that happening on the ground before we move to the next step."
