Stalemate between Fatah and Hamas

Azzam al-Ahmed, head of the Fatah delegation for Palestinian reconciliation, said that the reconciliation file is frozen and there has been no official contact between his movement and Hamas since the beginning of this month. Ahmad,who is currently in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, issued a press statement saying that he would not attend any meetings with Hamas until the Electoral Commission has been completed in Gaza. A member of the central committee of Fatah, Jamal Muheisen, called Hamas earlier to allow the Election Commission to update the electoral register according to the Cairo  agreements signed between the two movements more than a year ago He considered that all the justifications given by Hamas to suspend the election as "flimsy" and "unconvincing", pointing out that Hamas is demanding to implement what has been agreed upon previously. Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, has suspended the work of the Central Election Commission  after it had allowed them to open their headquarters to update the electoral register evenly between the West Bank and Gaza. Sources at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip said a delegation of 28 Hamas members led by Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar, crossed today through the Rafah border in the direction of Cairo in order to hold meetings described as urgent, with Egyptian national security, for the purpose of activating the Palestinian reconciliation, without giving further details. Palestinian factions confirmed the need to speed up the implementation of the reconciliation, urging Fatah and Hamas to give priority to the national interest over partisan interests. Secretary General of the Palestinian People's Party, Bassam Salhi , told Arabstoday that both the internal and external Palestinian situation are in crisis following the failure to reach an agreement to update the electoral register in the Gaza Strip. Salhi explained that the current status does not bode well and the continued bickering between Fatah and Hamas and their failure to apply the Cairo agreements and Doha Declaration will negatively affect the rest of the internal reconciliation files. Deputy Secretary General of FIDA Party, Saleh Rafat, in a phone call with Arabstoday, criticised the refusal of Hamas to allow the Central Election Commission to update the electoral register, saying that this matter was strengthening the Palestinian internal division. Political analyst and writer Khalil Shaheen speaking to Arabstoday, reiterated the importance of restoring Palestinian national unity, explaining that there is no political will to end the division as a result of fear by some parties’ and their interests. He also warned about the presence of  those parties who do not want reconciliation, which he considers the most serious obstacle to ending the division. Shaheen appealed to public opinion to put exert pressure for a return to reconciliation through sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations in order to create a popular state to face the challenges ahead. He also pointed out that the formation of the Palestinian government led by President Mahmoud Abbas gives them legitimacy, because its objective is to prepare for the elections and the reconstruction of Gaza.