Palestinian factions announce deal to form

After three days of talks in Moscow, the main Palestinian parties, Fatah, Hamas, and others on Tuesday evening announced deal to form a national unity government ahead of the upcoming municipal elections, after three days of talks in  Moscow.

“We have reached an agreement under which, within 48 hours, we will call on (Palestinian leader) Mahmoud Abbas to launch consultations on the creation of a government” of national unity, senior Fatah official Azzam Ahmad told a press conference.

After the government is formed, the Palestinians would set up a national council, which would include Palestinians in exile, and hold elections. “Today the conditions for (such an initiative) are better than ever,” he added.

The division between the Palestinian parties began in 2006, when the Hamas movement won the elections in the Gaza strip and was ousted by Fatah.

The non-official Russian-mediated talks in Moscow began Sunday with the goal of restoring “the unity of the Palestinian people.” Representatives from Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other factions were present at the meetings over the weekend.

The last time the Palestinians staged elections in which both Hamas and Fatah took part was in 2006, after which Hamas won and formed a government.

In 2016, the Palestinian government postponed the first municipal elections in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in 10 years after the Supreme Court ruled they should be held only in the Fatah-run West Bank.

Source :PNN