2022 Palestinian reconciliation agreement
ContextFatah-Hamas conflict
SignedOctober 13, 2022 (2022-10-13)
LocationAlgiers, Algeria
MediatorsAlgeria
Parties
  • Hamas
  • Fatah
  • 12 other Palestinian factions
LanguageArabic

The 2022 Palestinian reconciliation agreement, officially the Algerian document for Palestinian reconciliation (Arabic: الورقة الجزائرية للمصالحة الفلسطينية) and referred to by the Algiers declaration (Arabic: إعلان الجزائر) in Arab media, is an agreement signed by 14 different Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, as part of the reconciliation process between the two factions in a conflict that started in the aftermath of the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections and included the 2007 Hamas takeover of Gaza.

The agreement included provisions to hold presidential and parliamentary elections within a year of its signing.

Background

Fatah and Hamas

Fatah and Hamas are currently the two largest of the Palestinian factions. Founded in 1969, Fatah is the leading member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which is an umbrella organization consisting of several movements.[1][2] It takes a moderate stance on the conflict with Israel, favoring a two-state solution where the Palestinian state would be built on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.[3]

Hamas, on the other hand, is a Sunni Islamist movement founded in 1987, that advocates for the destruction of Israel. It is, in whole or in part, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States.[4][5] However, in recent years Hamas has accepted a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza as a temporary solution to the conflict.[6][7]

Fatah-Hamas conflict

Elections and Battle of Gaza

The Fatah–Hamas conflict started in the aftermath of the legislative elections of 2006, in which Hamas participated, winning 74 out of 132 seats.[8] Fatah refused to cooperate with the Hamas government, led by Ismail Haniyeh.[9] Tensions boiled on 10 June 2007, when armed clashes between Fatah and Hamas forces erupted in the Gaza strip.[10][11] By 15 June, the Gaza strip was, in its entirety, under the control of Hamas militants.[12]

Reconciliation talks and previous agreements

Prior to 2022, there have been several attempts at reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, with Egypt and Qatar serving as mediators. A number of agreements have been reached and implemented to various degrees, such as the Sana'a Declaration in 2008, the Fatah–Hamas Doha Agreement in 2012, the Gaza and Cairo agreements in 2014, the 2020 agreement as well as three agreements held in Cairo – in 2011, 2012 and 2017.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Negotiations

In January 2022, Hamas announced that a delegation headed by Ismail Haniyeh would be going to Algeria for "Palestinian unity talks," after receiving an invitation from the Algerian ambassador in Qatar, where Haniyeh is based.[20]

In July 2022, Mahmoud Abbas, leader of Fatah and President of the Palestinian National Authority, held a public meeting with Haniyeh for the first time in more than five years in Algiers, the capital city of Algeria. Hamas hailed the "historic" meeting.[21][22]

In September 2022, it was reported that delegations from Fatah and Hamas have headed to Algeria to conduct of talks on reconciliation.[23]

Agreement

A number of media outlets in the Arab world have released the text of the agreement, which was officially signed at a ceremony on 13 October 2022 in Algiers.[24][25] The agreement included the following provisions:

  • The affirmation that the Palestine Liberation Organization is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and the adoption of national dialogue to ensure the involvement of all factions to the organization.
  • Elections to the Palestinian National Council, the legislative body of the PLO, would be held within a year of signing the agreement. (Algeria offered to host the meetings of the council after its election, a proposal which "was appreciated of all the factions participating in the conference.")
  • Presidential and parliamentary elections for the Palestinian National Authority would be held in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including the city of Jerusalem, within a year of signing the agreement. (The agreement described Jerusalem as "the capital of the Palestinian state," without specifically mentioning East Jerusalem, which is the capital of Palestine in the two-state solution, while West Jerusalem's status is ambiguous in such a settlement.)
  • An "Algerian Arab team" would be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agreement.

The agreement was signed by 14 Palestinian factions.[26]

Reactions

Azzam al-Ahmad, the head of Fatah's delegation to Algiers, said that the factions "signed this agreement to get rid of the malignant cancer of division that has entered the Palestinian body," and expressed his movement's optimism "that the agreement is implemented and will not remain ink on paper."[27][28]

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, said, "It is a day of joy in Palestine and Algeria and for those who love the Palestinian cause, but a day of sadness for the Zionist entity."[29]

Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the President of Algeria, attended the signing ceremony, hailing the agreement and saying that the Palestinian state "went through setbacks, problems and conspiracies, but today, Alhamdulillah, we witness a historic day."[30]

Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initialtive, told the CNN that "it was agreed to elect the Palestinian National Council at home and abroad, using a proportional representation system with the participation of all Palestinian factions, within a maximum period of one year from the date of signing the declaration."[31]

Aftermath

The reconciliation agreement was not carried out, and no new Palestinian elections were held throughout 2023, also owing to Israeli opposition to allow voting in East Jerusalem.[32] All reconciliation efforts came to a standstill following the outbreak of a new Israel–Hamas war in October 2023.

References

  1. ↑ "Just Vision". justvision.org. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  2. ↑ Tahhan, Zena Al. "Hamas vs Fatah: Same goal, different approaches". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  3. ↑ Ahmed, Kaamil (20 March 2017). "Two-state solution 'only game in town': Fatah leader". Anadolu Agency. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  4. ↑ Laub, Zachary; Robinson, Kali (17 August 2021). "What Is Hamas?". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "Hamas: The Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza". BBC News. 1 July 2021. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  6. ↑ الهدف, بوابة (20 July 2019). "هنية: لا نعارض دولة على حدود 67". بوابة الهدف الإخبارية (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "أبرز ما جاء في لقاء إسماعيل هنية مع علي الظفيري على شاشة قناة الجزيرة الفضائية". gazaalan.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  8. ↑ Central Elections Commission (CEC) (PDF). Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ↑ "TIMELINE: Key events since 2006 Hamas election victory". Reuters. 20 June 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  10. ↑ "Only the dead enter Gaza; Al Mezan calls for immediate opening of the Rafah Crossing – occupied Palestinian territory". ReliefWeb. 25 July 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  11. ↑ "Hamas launches new Gaza attacks". BBC. 12 June 2007. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  12. ↑ Urquart, Conal; Black, Ian; Tran, Mark (15 June 2007). "Hamas takes control of Gaza". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  13. ↑ Sudam, Mohamed (23 March 2008). "Fatah and Hamas sign reconciliation deal". Reuters. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  14. ↑ "Hamas and Fatah agree to form caretaker government". the Guardian. 27 April 2011. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  15. ↑ "New Palestinian government will respect PLO accords, Abbas says". 19 February 2012. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  16. ↑ Rudoren, Jodi; Akram, Fares (20 May 2012). "Palestinians Sign Deal to Set Up Elections". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  17. ↑ Toameh, Khaled Abu (25 September 2014). "Text of Fatah-Hamas agreement". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah end split on Gaza". BBC News. 12 October 2017. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  19. ↑ Boxerman, Aaron. "Fatah, Hamas say they've agreed to hold Palestinian elections in coming months". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  20. ↑ "Hamas delegation to head to Algeria for Palestinian unity talks". Hamas (in Arabic). 15 January 2022. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  21. ↑ "Palestinian president, Hamas chief hold rare public meeting |". AW. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  22. ↑ "Palestinian rivals Abbas, Haniyeh shake hands in Algeria – Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. 8 July 2022. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  23. ↑ "Fatah, Hamas head to Algeria to discuss Palestinian reconciliation". Middle East Monitor. 20 September 2022. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  24. ↑ "الأناضول تنشر نص "إعلان الجزائر" للمصالحة الفلسطينية". www.aa.com.tr. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  25. ↑ للأنباء, وكالة قدس برس إنترناشيونال. "نص". وكالة قدس برس إنترناشيونال للأنباء. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  26. ↑ "Palestinian factions sign reconciliation agreement in Algeria". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  27. ↑ "Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah sign reconciliation deal in Algiers". France 24. 13 October 2022. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  28. ↑ "Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah sign reconciliation deal in Algiers". WION. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  29. ↑ "Palestinian factions sign reconciliation deal in Algiers". Al Arabiya English. 13 October 2022. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  30. ↑ شاوش, أمين (13 October 2022). "الرئيس تبون: التوقيع على "إعلان الجزائر" بين الفصائل الفلسطينية يوم تاريخي". الشروق أونلاين (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  31. ↑ Dahman, Abeer Salman,Ibrahim (13 October 2022). "Leading Palestinian factions sign reconciliation deal, aiming to pave way to elections". CNN. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  32. ↑ At Egypt summit with Fatah, Hamas chief calls to exploit Israeli ‘internal divisions’
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