GAZA CITY, 23 February 2006 — The Fatah faction said yesterday that it had agreed in principle to join the new Palestinian government led by Hamas.
At a joint press conference with Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar held in Gaza City, Azzam El-Ahmed, head of Fatah in the Palestinian Legislative Council, announced yesterday that “participation in a Palestinian Cabinet led by Hamas is in principle accepted by the Fatah movement.”
He told reporters that both Fatah and Hamas should first agree on a joint program of the new government.
Al-Zahar, who led the Hamas delegation at the talks in Gaza City, said that “all the parties, including our brothers in Fatah, intend to participate in the government.” “We have agreed to continue our discussions,” he added.
On Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is himself from Fatah, formally handed Hamas Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh a letter asking him to form the next government.
Hamas won 74 of the 132 seats in the Palestinian Parliament at a general election four weeks ago, thrashing Fatah, which won just 45.
However, despite Ahmed’s comments, it is understood many Fatah members would rather sit back and watch Hamas grapple with a range of problems that include a growing financial crisis.
Both the United States and European Union have threatened to slash funding unless Hamas commits itself to nonviolence, accepts past agreements and recognizes Israel’s right to exist.
Israel has refused point blank to deal with a Hamas-led government and has already imposed sanctions such as the withholding of customs duties worth around $50 million a month. The money is collected by the Jewish state on behalf of the Palestinians and accounts for around one third of the Palestinian Authority’s budget.
The move has been criticized by the UN Middle East envoy and countries such as Egypt but the United States has backed Israel’s “sovereign decision” to withhold the cash.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo yesterday, is trying to persuade Arab countries not bail out Hamas.Hamas official Mohammed Nazzal, who also held talks with officials in Cairo, said Washington’s tough talk could only backfire.
— With input from agencies
