Hamas Takes a Step Away from Isolation, With a Long Way Left to Go

In the decade since the militant group Hamas waged civil war with its rival Fatah political party, the stateless Palestinians have been left without a unified voice on the world stage. Now, that might be about to change. Over the weekend Hamas took a step toward unity by agreeing to elections in Gaza and the West Bank, raising the prospect of reunification after ten years of squabbling and violence. Few think the political split is over for good, but Hamas’ move reflects a desire by the group to come in from the cold — and creates a chance to ease the plight of the 1.8 million Palestinians living under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade in the Gaza Strip. Right now Gaza is under Hamas control and subject to three major Israeli military operations in the last eight years. In the West Bank, President Mahmoud Abbas controls the Palestinian Authority, ruling over the archipelago of territory squeezed in between Israeli settlements. The millions of Palestinians living in diaspora in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and beyond are represented in theory by Abbas and the Fatah-led Palestine Liberation Organization. The feud between the Fatah and Hamas has intensified in recent months. After Hamas formed an administrative committee take on key government functions in Gaza in March, Abbas accused the Islamists of attempting to form a “shadow government.” Abbas retaliated by cutting off payments for fuel for the Gaza Strip’s power plant, reducing households to a few...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Middle East Source Type: news