Mahmoud Abbas Meets Hamas Leaders in Qatar

Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, met with the leaders of his main rival movement, Khaled Mashal and Ismail Haniyeh. According to reports, the meeting took place on Thursday, October 28, in Doha, the capital of the Qatari emirate, and was encouraged by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, with the participation of the Qatari Foreign Minister during a lunch gathering. This is one of the rare instances in recent years where the leaders of Fatah and Hamas have met. Hamas has been the main rival of Fatah and the Palestine Liberation Organization since its establishment 28 years ago, with both being led by Mr. Abbas. Reports indicate that the discussions in Doha focused on the necessity of resuming dialogue for Palestinian national reconciliation and strategies to overcome obstacles to unity. The Palestinian news agency 'Wafa' reported that both sides agreed that achieving Palestinian national reconciliation is essential to counter Israeli plans against the independence of the Palestinian state, emphasizing that without Gaza, an independent Palestinian state cannot be established. According to the report, Mr. Abbas expressed gratitude to Qatar and emphasized that the 'Palestinian reconciliation file' will progress under the management of 'Egyptian brothers.' This meeting comes ahead of Hamas elections to determine the head of its political bureau. In this context, Khaled Mashal has officially announced that he will no longer run for this position. Ismail Haniyeh has been outside Gaza since the Hajj pilgrimage, although some of his close associates insist he will return to Gaza. From the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in September 1993 until 2007, Fatah managed Gaza as well as the West Bank. Since Hamas won the internal elections in the Palestinian territories in January 2006, relations between this Muslim Brotherhood-aligned movement and Fatah and the Palestinian Authority have soured, leading to severe conflicts and killings. In the summer of 2007, Hamas, in an action that Fatah termed a 'coup,' ousted Fatah from power-sharing in Gaza; Mr. Haniyeh held the premiership of the Hamas government in this strip until last year. Following efforts by Arab actors such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation document, and the Hamas government in Gaza was dissolved, but in practice, none of the provisions of the national reconciliation document were implemented. Hamas claims to be 'confident' that it will win in any upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, both in Gaza and the West Bank. Mr. Abbas, aged eighty, has extended his presidency longer than usual despite internal Palestinian criticisms and shows no signs of imminent resignation. The Palestinian Supreme Court recently postponed council elections in Palestinian cities and settlements for four months. Hamas has strongly criticized the postponement of these elections, viewing it as a sign of Fatah's concern over its potential defeat.