Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has instructed Fatah and other factions within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to engage in direct and intensive dialogue with Hamas in a bid to reach a comprehensive agreement that would bring the group into the Palestinian political system, Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
According to the sources, Abbas urged Fatah’s leadership to increase pressure on Hamas — directly or through countries with influence over the group — to turn the page on years of division and usher in a new phase in which Hamas would transform into a political party, hand over control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (PA), and commit to its decisions, institutions and laws.
Abbas also ordered the formation of a national dialogue committee, comprising members of Fatah’s Central Committee and the PLO’s Executive Committee, to oversee negotiations with Hamas and work toward ending the political split.
The move follows a late April meeting of the Central Council, during which Abbas reiterated the need for Hamas to relinquish its control of Gaza and return the coastal enclave to the authority of the Palestinian government.
Abbas views the recent resolutions of the Council as the foundation for any agreement with Hamas, aimed not only at resolving the Gaza impasse but also at advancing the broader goal of establishing a Palestinian state, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Sources noted that Abbas considers the Council’s outcomes as binding terms for moving forward, stressing that unity talks must align with the national agenda of statehood.
In its final communiqué, the Council stressed that any political solution must lead to the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Council also underscored the need for territorial and political unity, calling for a single political, legal and administrative system across all Palestinian lands.
It further declared that decisions related to war, peace and negotiations are national matters and cannot be determined unilaterally by any single faction or party.
Reaffirming the role of the PLO, the Council described it as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and the national umbrella for all Palestinians. It emphasized the importance of adhering to the PLO’s political program and international commitments.
Abbas has also called on Hamas to prioritize the national interest, warning that the current situation poses an existential threat to the Palestinian national project and the dream of statehood.
“The situation is no longer just about Gaza,” one source told Asharq Al-Awsat. “It is dangerous, sensitive and decisive. What happens in Gaza now is directly tied to the fate of the Palestinian state.”
As per sources, there is regional consensus among Arab states that Hamas joining the Palestinian political system and transferring authority in Gaza to the PA offers the best way out of the current crisis, paving the way for renewed political momentum toward statehood.
The United States has also been kept informed of these developments, the sources added.
No Gaza Without a State
Speaking on Wednesday at the opening of a cancer advisory center in Ramallah, Abbas reaffirmed that only the future Palestinian state would be allowed to govern Gaza, expressing the PA’s readiness to assume full responsibility for the coastal enclave.
“If they agree, we are ready to go and take over full responsibility for Gaza, just like before the 2007 coup,” Abbas said, in reference to Hamas’s takeover of the territory. He accused unnamed actors of helping Hamas seize control in order to undermine Palestinian unity.
“We support full national unity — unity in all areas of life, in every institution, and among all factions,” Abbas said.
“But let’s be clear: anyone who truly wants national unity must commit to the Palestine Liberation Organization, the collective home of all Palestinians.”
In recent weeks, the PA has implemented its most extensive internal reforms since its inception.
These include creating the post of vice president, reshuffling top leadership in the security services, placing hundreds of senior officers into early retirement, and launching security campaigns across the West Bank.
Hamas has expressed a willingness to engage in national reconciliation efforts but is calling for a broader national dialogue to reach consensus on all major issues, including governance, arms, and the future of Gaza, sources familiar with the group’s position said.
According to the sources, Hamas has conveyed to the PA and regional mediators that it is prepared to accept a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, discuss the future of its weapons, and relinquish control of the Gaza Strip as part of a comprehensive political agreement.
However, the group has yet to respond positively to other demands and says broader discussions are still needed.
A senior Hamas source confirmed ongoing direct and indirect communication with the PA and the Fatah movement.
“We have been receiving messages through both direct and indirect channels,” the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“We made it clear to our brothers in Fatah that we are ready to resolve all contentious issues and are committed to that—on the basis of national principles and previous agreements. Now we are waiting for Fatah’s response.”
Years of Failed Attempts
This is not the first time the rival factions have attempted to heal the divide. Since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, the two sides have met hundreds of times and launched numerous national dialogue initiatives.
While several agreements were signed, none succeeded in ending the long-standing split between the West Bank-based PA and Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Efforts at reconciliation gained renewed urgency following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza, which has further strained the fragile Palestinian political landscape.
Years of failed reconciliation efforts between Fatah and Hamas have repeatedly stumbled over fundamental disagreements — from the formation and authority of a unified government, to control over security forces, weapons, and Hamas’s integration into the PLO.
Even during the current war in Gaza, when pressure for unity surged, the factions reached a preliminary agreement in Beijing to form a national unity government — but the deal never materialized.
According to a senior PA official, the events of Oct. 7 marked a turning point for the Palestinian cause and reshaped the political landscape.
“October 7 changed everything,” the official told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“The cause now stands at a crossroads, and Hamas must reckon with the new ‘nakba’ it has brought upon the Palestinian people,” they added.
