A senior Palestinian official revealed on Monday that the factional approach is to delay forming a government of national reconciliation and to keep the governments of Gaza and Ramallah [separate] for the governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, until the legislative and presidential elections in the Palestinian territories.It will be interesting to see Hamas' reaction to this news. I think the vitriol is going to reach a peak tomorrow.
Mahmoud al-Zak, a member of the Political Bureau of the Popular Struggle Front said "The general direction of the Palestinian factions now focused on the formation of a government of national consensus and commitment to hold elections on time (on the fourth of May)," pointing out that the effort is focused towards the rapid formation of the Central Election Commission to start tasks in preparation for the presidential and legislative elections.
Zak explained that the general attitude of this lies in the evasion of U.S. and Israeli pressure to halt the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority territories because of any united Palestinian government...
He pointed out that all these things will be left to the new government which would derive its legitimacy from elections to be held next May.
Might not be enough for those hundreds of Western reporters to notice, though. Until Ha'aretz publishes it in English, it never happened.
Meanwhile, Hamas is preparing for its 24th anniversary celebrations. Here's its logo for the occasion:
Because nothing describes the deep religious fervor of the Hamas movement like the barrel of a weapon emerging from their holy sites.
(h/t CHA)