Tensions between Palestinian factions cast shadow over talks

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are still unable to agree on key issues, threatening the already fragile ceasefire talks with Israel, writes Mel Frykberg.

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas seen together in 2011. AP

RAMALLAH // The heightened tensions between Hamas and the Fatah-affiliated Palestinian Authority (PA) have cast a shadow over the prospects for further peace talks with Israel, and also threaten an interim unity government formed earlier this year.

In June, Hamas, weakened by loss of support from the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt after its government fell, and from Iran over ideological differences in Syria, indicated it was ready to make major concessions to reach an agreement with PA president Mahmoud Abbas’s government in Ramallah.

However, bitter disagreements between the two groups, traditional rivals, have arisen since the August 26 ceasefire between Hamas and Israel following the latest conflict in Gaza. This has raised questions about the success of further reconciliation talks, which are due to be held in Cairo later this month, as well as talks with Israel over a more permanent ceasefire.

“If both sides continue along the paths they have been following the chances of the unity government surviving are slim,” said professor Samir Awad, a political scientist from Birzeit University near Ramallah.

“In a desperate situation, economically, Hamas was expecting that in return for agreeing to a unity government its employees would receive their salaries via the PA in Ramallah but the PA has refused to pay this money,” Mr Awad said.

While the PA claims it does not have the money to pay Hamas employees because of European pressure “this is an open question because there is no proof of this,” he added.

When the unity government was first announced some members of the international community voiced hesitant support for continued financial backing if certain preconditions were met.

“However, the Europeans have demanded a check and balances system be put in place to monitor funding and its distribution,” Mr Awad said.

Following the 50-day Gaza conflict, Hamas also agreed to the PA extending its political influence and control in Gaza by administrating border crossings with the support of Egypt.

However, in return for a permanent ceasefire, Israel has demanded Hamas’s disarmament. For further funding and support of the unity government, the international community has demanded the same.

But former Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh said over the weekend that this was out of the question.

Threatened by a united Palestinian front, Israel has also been quick to stoke tensions between the two Palestinian factions. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Palestinians had to choose between peace and Hamas.

Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, recently told the PA that Hamas was allegedly trying to stage another coup in the West Bank by smuggling in weapons and arming militants. It was later revealed that Hamas was only making contingency plans should the PA collapse.

Mr Abbas has also accused Hamas of running a "shadow government" although — its Gaza administration had resigned in June — and had threatened to break away from the unity government.

Hamas responded by saying Mr Abbas was trying to sabotage the deal. On Friday, Hamas’s politburo chief-in-exile Khaled Meshaal said that talk of a parallel government was “totally against reality”.

Mr Meshaal said Gaza’s ministries continued to operate but that his organisation was ready for the unity government to take charge of crossings and assume various responsibilities as agreed.

“Abbas is reluctant to believe everything Hamas says because they have lied to him several times including when they said they had nothing to do with the kidnapping of three Israeli settlers in June when they had actually financed and organised the kidnappings,” Mr Awad explained.

Mr Abbas could be on the offensive, aware that his popularity has reached its nadir in the wake of the Gaza assault, with opinion polls suggesting that if elections were held now Hamas would win with a comfortable majority.

The Palestinian president’s popularity has been on the wane for years, with many Palestinians accusing him of being a subcontractor for the Israeli occupation.

These critics, including those from within his own party, argue that negotiations with Israel have led nowhere and that during Israel’s assault Hamas was able to fight back and that rockets fired at Israel had forced some concessions in regard to easing the blockade of Gaza.

On Saturday, further criticism was levelled against Mr Abbas after Hasan Khreisha, the second-deputy speaker of the Palestinian parliament, said he had decided against pursuing charges against Israel at the International Criminal Court if efforts to revive peace talks are successful.

“Abbas does not care about public opinion as he is absolutely convinced that his path towards establishing a Palestinian state is correct. Neither does he take into consideration disagreement from within Fatah,” Mr Awad said.

Mr Abbas’s autocracratic approach and his sense of personal mission, combined with Hamas’s refusal to disarm and its apparent willingness to resume the conflict with Israel if the blockade isn’t eased does not bode well for the forthcoming unity talks in Cairo.

This dim outlook paints a bleak picture for a permanent ceasefire with Israel and an easing of the blockade and the suffering of ordinary Gazans looks increasingly unlikely.