Hamas and Islamic Jihad hold 'integration and unity' meetings

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri says the group is open to talks with Islamic Jihad Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources have revealed that meetings are taking place between the leaders of the two groups to discuss the possibility of long-term "integration and unity." Arabstoday has been told that the meetings took place in the Gaza Strip, abroad, and among the detainees of the two movements inside Israeli jails.
However, officials have refused to comment on the practical nature of any potential "integration."
Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that the group is seeking the greatest possible degree of convergence with the Islamic Jihad as a step towards "unity," but there is "always scope for a move towards greater convergence."
Islamic Jihad spokesman, Daoud Shihab, said that unity between Hamas and his movement could be a nucleus for uniting the world's Islamic movements, stressing that "pushing for a unified Palestinian resistance is an Islamic duty and a national necessity."
In practice, Hamas and Islamic Jihad are thought be fairly similar, except for Hamas taking part in legislative elections and forming a government, the two steps that Islamic Jihad has refused to take.
Mahmoud al-Zahar, the political leader of Hamas has denied there is any tension between his movement and the Islamic Jihad, pointing out that there are some people from outside the two groups who do not like any rapprochement between Hamas and Islamic Jihad. "In the past, both groups took steps to reach an agreement," Zahar explained.
Previous dialogue about integration stalled due to stumbling blocks and political disagreements related to power-sharing and elections. A merger between Hamas and Islamic Jihad would yield a significant faction, with no shortage of public popularity in the Palestinian streets, parallel only to the Fatah movement, the largest faction in the PLO.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad would then join the PLO to contest the municipal and National Council elections.
Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Palestinian government in Gaza, recently held a meeting with Islamic Jihad leaders and called for a deep and serious dialogue for unity. In a statement, Haniyeh explained that the delegation of Islamic Jihad leaders discussed the latest developments in the reconciliation process and the outcome of the Arab revolutions, as well as the bilateral relations between Hamas and Islamic Jihad.