Polls will be scheduled within six months under a deal agreed by Fatah, Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniya.

The last Palestinian parliamentary elections were held in 2006 when Hamas won by an unexpected landslide.
The deal was reached during meetings held in Turkey.

A meeting of the general secretaries of the factions will soon be held to announce the details of the agreement while also discussing the working mechanism until the elections are held.

Following the 2006 polls, Hamas and Fatah formed a unity government but it soon collapsed and bloody clashes erupted in the Gaza Strip between the two factions the following year.

Hamas has since ruled Gaza, while Fatah has run the PA, based in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

Numerous attempts at reconciliation, including a prisoner exchange agreement in 2012 and a short-lived unity government two years later, have failed to close the rift.

The talks in Turkey come after Abbas asked Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to support Palestinian reconciliation efforts with the aim to head towards general elections.

They also come in the context of efforts to unify the Palestinian ranks in light of the accelerated normalisation of ties among two Arab countries – the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – and Israel.

The accords break with decades of Arab consensus that ties with Israel should not be normalised until it has signed a comprehensive peace deal with the Palestinians.

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The UAE’s signing of a peace accord with Israel will not violate the rights of the Palestinian people, and will only open prospects for prosperity and stability in the region, observed Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, in his speech at the 154th edition of the Arab League Council, held remotely.

Mr. Gargash, speaking at the Foreign Ministers meeting, stated that the strategic and sovereign decision of the UAE to sign the peace accord follows Israel’s suspension of its annexation of Palestinian territory. This is a successful and important step towards achieving peace while meeting the demands of all involved countries and the international community, he noted.

One of the objectives of the Arab Peace Initiative is to reach a fair and sustainable solution to the Palestinian issue, Gargash pointed out, and now a unique opportunity has presented itself to revive peace efforts to end the Arab-Israeli conflict.

He stated: “The Palestinian cause is the central and pivotal cause of the Arab region and the UAE is stressing its fixed stance in support of the establishment of a Palestinian state based on its borders of 4th June, 1967, with its capital in East Jerusalem, in compliance with the legitimate international resolution and the Arab Peace Initiative.”

He stressed that the UAE’s decision to normalise its relations with Israel is a sovereign and strategic one that is not aimed at any party, and not related to the current polarisations taking place in the region.

The Minister highlighted the UAE’s respect and appreciation for the Palestinian community in the country and their positive contributions to the development process over five decades.

“The UAE’s decision to make peace with Israel is based on a realistic vision. Its leadership decided to normalise relations with Israel to develop vital economic and development sectors in the region, as well as to create new opportunities for cooperation in this strategic area of the world, which will benefit its peoples,” said Gargash.

The UAE Minister also condemned the interventions of Iran and Turkey in the internal affairs of Arab countries.

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H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, praised the positive role played by the Palestinian community in the UAE’s development drive, and reaffirmed that his country will continue to embrace and unswervingly support the Palestinians and their cause, WAM reported.

Sheikh Abdullah conveyed this via video conference at a meeting organised of the Palestinian community in the UAE on September 1.

He expressed happiness about the success stories of “our Palestinian brothers” in the UAE, which have contributed to “the development and growth achieved by our nation.” He lauded the initiative to establish the Emirati-Palestinian Friendship Club, which he saw as “a significant step reflective of the fraternal bonds between our nations”.

“As the UAE is taking a sovereign decision today for the sake of delivering a peaceful future in the region, I assure you that you’re living in your second homeland. I assure you anew that these unshakable bonds between the UAE and the Palestinians will remain solid and will never change,” Sheikh Abdullah continued. “UAE’s stance will remain supportive of the Arab stand calling for establishing an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Sheikh Abdullah said that the UAE sees peace-building as a strategic necessity for the region. However, he said, the strategic necessity will not come at the expense of support for the Palestinian cause and the rights of Palestinian people. Sheikh Abdullah concluded that the UAE will continue to be an honest supporter of Palestinian families.”

The participants at the meeting expressed confidence that the pledge taken by late Sheikh Zayed toward Palestine will remain in the safe hands of the UAE people and leadership who they are sure will continue to support the Palestinian rights to their statehood. The Palestinian community in the UAE will remain grateful to the hospitality and solidarity extended by the UAE leadership toward the Palestinians, they noted, and affirmed that the UAE will remain their second homeland.

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