Latest Developments
Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah blamed each other on June 24 for the latest delay in reconciliation talks. Hamas accused Fatah of canceling the meeting, scheduled to take place in China later this month, while a Fatah spokesperson said that Hamas refused to reschedule discussions. A Hamas official denied this accusation. No date has been set for a new meeting.
China hosted Hamas and Fatah for talks in April that failed to yield an agreement. Hamas, an Iran-backed terrorist group that rules the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), which is controlled by the Fatah party and led by PA President Mahmoud Abbas, have been in conflict since a brutal 2007 civil war between their supporters in Gaza. More than a dozen reconciliation attempts have failed to bring the parties together, including recent attempts in Russia and Egypt.
Expert Analysis
“Whether Palestinian factions hold reconciliation meetings in China, Russia, or Egypt, their inability to unite under a single government persists. The lingering wounds of the past continue to fester among Fatah, Hamas, and other Palestinian factions, demonstrating that trust remains an elusive commodity between these rivals.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal
“Fatah’s attempts to reconcile with Hamas are foolish at best. If they succeed — which hasn’t happened through several rounds — Fatah would be inviting the fox into the henhouse. Hamas already violently expelled Fatah from Gaza and would eagerly do so in the West Bank given the opportunity. It would also further confirm that Fatah is not a partner for peace.” — David May, FDD Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst
Abbas and Fatah Deeply Unpopular
A Palestinian poll released on June 12 found that Abbas, who is in the 20th year of his four-year term, and his Fatah party are deeply unpopular among Palestinians. According to the poll, 40 percent of Palestinians support Hamas, compared to only 20 percent for Fatah, and satisfaction with Hamas’s performance since October 7 stood at 75 percent, compared to Fatah’s 24 percent. Hamas’s candidate would trounce Abbas in an election, and nearly 90 percent of Palestinians want Abbas to resign. The poll also found that more than two-thirds of Palestinians support Hamas’s deadly October 7 attack.
“Progress Elusive as China Hosts Palestinian Unity Talks,” FDD Flash Brief
“Most Palestinians Support October 7 Attack, Dissatisfied With Abbas and Fatah,” FDD Flash Brief
“Fatah-Hamas Reconciliation Talks Result in No Agreement,” FDD Flash Brief
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