- DAMASCUS, Syria: A senior official in the Palestinian Fatah faction says security services for the rival Hamas group are nothing more than “armed militias.” It’s not clear what prompted Azzam el-Ahmed’s harsh comment but it suggested the factions are no closer to reconciliation.
Repeated efforts to reconcile the sides have failed. The factions have been bitterly divided since militant Hamas seized Gaza in 2007, leaving Fatah only in control of the West Bank.
The main sticking points between them are the merging of their security forces and hammering out a joint political program, including peace with Israel.
El-Ahmed spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday, ahead of a new round of reconciliation talks between the two Palestinian sides.