Following leadership conference, Fatah plans to reconcile with Hamas
RAMALLAH Ñ The Palestinian Authority, fresh from Fatah elections
that could establish a new leadership, plans to intensify efforts to
reconcile with the Hamas regime.
Officials said the PA, through the ruling Fatah movement, would
coordinate to achieve a reconciliation with Hamas in both the West Bank and
Gaza Strip, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the prime goal was for the resumption of Fatah
activity in the Gaza Strip, ruled by Hamas since 2007.
"We have many tasks ahead, the main one of which concerns relations with
Hamas," former Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan said.
Dahlan was one of 13 new members of the Fatah Central Committee,
regarded as the policy-making body of the movement and a key element in the
PA. In 2007, Dahlan was exiled by the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip and
since then has sought to return.
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The Central Committee was expected to increase coordination between
Fatah and PA security forces trained by the United States. Dahlan, who
founded the Preventive Security Apparatus in the Gaza Strip in 1994, was one
of three former security chiefs elected to the committee. The other two were
former PSA chief Jibril Rajoub, who had been responsible for the West Bank,
and former General Intelligence Services commander Tawfik Tirawi.
Dahlan's key rival in the committee was expected to be Rajoub. Rajoub,
also chairman of the Palestinian Football Federation and Palestinian
Olympics Committee, has been accused of maintaining close ties to Hamas in
the West Bank.
"Today the Fatah emerges from this congress united and strengthened,"
Rajoub said. "This is a revolution."
Palestinian sources said Dahlan and Tirawi were expected to join forces
against Rajoub. In 2008, Tirawi accused Rajoub of working with Hamas to
overthrow the PA in the Gaza Strip.