Palestinians watch Hamas offer olive branch to Fatah-11Oct07

Palestinians are watching with interest, and perhaps some confusion, as their leaders exchange contradictory messages about prospects of national reconciliation and peace with Israel.

Overnight, Ismail Haniya told the media Hamas' control over Gaza was temporary, suggesting his movement would be willing to give up its 4-month-old control of Gaza in exchange for renewed dialogue with President Abbas and the Fatah movement.


He also alluded to efforts by some Arab capitals to reunify the divided Palestinian people.

Speaking earlier to Palestine TV, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, made it clear there are conditions for dialogue with Hamas to resume.

The Palestine Liberation Organisation echoes Abbas' demands. Immediately following the Gaza takeover, the PLO considered it a coup -- a dangerous precedent in domestic Palestinian politics that should not be endorsed.

But despite the confusion, the timing of this exchange is significant. Four months after the violent Hamas takeover of Gaza, the movement is isolated and sidelined with the international community, including many Arab states, backing Abbas.

Momentum is also picking up on the Israeli-Palestinian track -- with the PLO now preparing for an upcoming peace summit in the US while engaging in what has been described as tough negotiations with Israel on key issues.

Observers say the Palestinian division is sure to weaken the president's position in ongoing negotiations - but it doesn't seem he's willing to reach national unity at any cost.

Opinion polls also show an increasing frustration with the Palestinian geographical and political division. But it seems the people's aspirations for a united and reconciled Palestinian political leadership will have to wait for now.

Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• AL
• Jazeera
• Nour
• Odeh
• Palestinian
• Hamas
• Fatah

[James1261]

Hamas and Fatah must talk, and work together. They must work together to destroy israel.

[hassan691987]

wtf? fatah instigated the coup. HAMAS WON THE ELECTION! hello, what u smokin abu mazen

[IslamicMedProduction]

If I were Nazzel, I would not talk shit about Turkey. Those guys will rape you in your sleep.

[IslamicMedProduction]

if this unity is planned by hamas giving up the control of gaza, trust me there will be no unity then. I hope not, but these fucker fatah bastards areplanning to get hamas powerless in order to satisfy Israel

and someone tell that jamal nazzall to shut the fuck up and go choke on jewish dicks

[eyadooooo]

@PLO2008 so you are judging how he looks rather than judging what he says??!

get a life and educate yourself!

[alladin1977]

Fuck you and fatah

[PLOAuthority]

This man should not represent Fatah

[serialno78666]

FUCK FATAH

[PLO2008]

Jamal Nazzal is an idiot and he looks Indian is he really Palestinian?

[aydahi]

oh fuck u jamal nazzal pussy ass bich caward ass palestinian lieing ass bich hamas didnt throw no ppl from high building u so dumm i dont think u watch news them ppl was thrown in iraq by police in there u dumm fuck trying to put it on hamas...we all hamas ...ALLAH AKBER

[murk2002]

Hamas fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, we can go round and round on this issue. The fact is Hamas will not negotiate with anyone the arab states hates these terrorist supported by Iran and they are the cause of the suffering of the Palestenian civilians.

[seraph101]

Israel broke the ceasefire.