Palestian factions kicked off in Egypt’s city of el-Alamein on Sunday a meeting aimed discussing the latest developments in the occupied territories and ways of restoring national unity and ending division.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas chaired the talks.
He had arrived in Egypt on Saturday night on an official three-day visit. He is set to meet with his Egyptian counterpart Abdul Fattah al-Sisi on Monday for talks on the latest Palestinian developments and the peace process, said the Palestinian embassy in Cairo in a statement.
An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Abbas is keen on pushing forward a proposal to form a government of technocrats that could handle the administrative affairs of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
All factions, including Gaza rulers Hamas, would be represented in the government, it added on condition of anonymity.
Speaking at the el-Alamein meeting, Abbas said the new government would also “launch the international battle to place the occupied Palestinian Territories under international protection.” This would be an amended form of the mandate that Palestine was under prior to 1948.
The suggestion is aimed at “confronting Israeli attempts to seize the remaining Palestinian Territories and at placing an international mechanism that would monitor Israeli practices against the Palestinian people.”
The source revealed that Hamas was “receptive” of Abbas’ proposal, but demanded an amendment to the electoral law before it could join the national unity government. It also demanded that a timeframe be set to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections.
On Saturday, Abbas met with several of the secretary generals of the Palestinian factions, including a delegation from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Political Science Professor at al-Quds University Dr. Ayman al-Raqab said: “Egypt had sensed real danger facing the Palestinian cause, prompting it to host a meeting at such a senior level.”
The el-Alamein meeting is a sign that Cairo may be sensing that a major negative development is in store for the Palestinians, he explained.
He noted to Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo had called for a Palestinian conference in 2005, which was followed by the Palestinian division in Gaza in 2007. It called for a conference in 2016 before the American administration declared its so-called “Deal of the Century” in 2017.
Al-Raqab ruled out the possibility that the factions would agree on holding the elections, but he did not rule out the opportunity that they may reach an understanding over the issue in the future.
Political Science Professor at Cairo University Dr. Tariq Fahmy expected the el-Alamein meeting to yield “positive results” in spite of the division between Palestinians.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting reflected Cairo’s “ability to contain all parties and refocus their attention on the Palestinian cause when necessary.”
Furthermore, the absence of the Islamic Jihad and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command from the talks will not impact the meetings because the parties that control the West Bank and Gaza – Fatah and Hamas respectively – are there, he stated.
Hamas is usually able to rein in the Jihad in Gaza, he added, while ruling out that the factions would reach an agreement over a “comprehensive reconciliation” at the moment.
After the conclusion of the el-Alamein meetings, Egyptian authorities will likely kick off contacts with Israel to ensure that calm is restored in the Palestinian Territories and to put an end to Israeli raids and forced evictions in Jerusalem.
