Hamas, Fatah miss another reconciliation deadline as deal withers

The two leading Palestinian factions missed another deadline Thursday to implement a reconciliation deal, potentially burying the landmark accord aimed at ending their decade-long split.

Terror group Hamas was supposed to hand over power in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority, led by secular movement Fatah, by December.

But the handover was missed and a February 1 deadline for solving the issue of two rival civil services passes Thursday with no progress appearing imminent.

While small changes have occurred since the deal was signed in October — notably the handing over of Gaza’s borders to the Palestinian Authority — Hamas remains firmly in charge in Gaza.

Hamas and Fatah trade blame for what could turn out to be a gradual abandoning of the accord.

Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, says the Fatah-led government had backed away from the deal “without clear reasons,” while Fayez Abu Eita, a Fatah official in Gaza, calls for Hamas to respect the agreement.

Egypt, which brokered the agreement, has elections coming up and the focus of its leaders appears elsewhere.

The head of the Egyptian intelligence services, Khaled Fawzy, was the chief broker of the deal but was replaced earlier this month.

— AFP