GOOD news rarely emerges from Palestine, with the usual reports documenting one atrocity or another by the Israeli regime against the Palestinian people. Unfortunately, intra-Palestinian squabbling —particularly between Fatah that runs the West Bank, and Hamas which controls Gaza — has hurt the Palestinians further as both parties have fought for control over the limited areas the Arabs themselves run. This has resulted in two Palestinian Bantustans separated by a domineering and brutal Israeli regime in between. However, on Sunday it emerged that Hamas, that has been ruling Gaza since 2007 after a violent split with Fatah, is willing to cede control of the coastal territory to a Palestinian unity government. In the words of one Fatah official, “this step will enhance the unity of the Palestinians and end ugly division”.

Indeed, Palestinian unity is a prerequisite for the Arabs to successfully pursue their legitimate case for a viable and free state. Without such unity, Israel can employ the oldest trick in the book — divide and rule — keeping the Arabs locked in a vicious circle of violence and misery. But the establishment of a unity government will not be easy, as much mistrust exists between Hamas and Fatah. In fact, it was differences over an election that Hamas had won in 2006 that led to fissures within the Palestinian camp. Both parties need to initiate confidence-building measures for the sake of their people and look beyond short-term goals of consolidating power. The prime objective at the moment should be to improve the lives of the people, particularly those residing in Gaza described as a giant open-air prison. Hamas, Fatah and other Palestinian parties must work to improve the health and education indicators in their areas, as well as work on civic infrastructure. As the UN has pointed out, if the present conditions persist, Gaza may be “unliveable” by 2020. There must also be tolerance for each other’s mandate and no further power grabs. Unity is necessary for all parties to pursue the only long-term goal that can alleviate the miseries of the Palestinian people: an independent Arab state where people can live with dignity and freedom — basic rights the Israeli occupiers have denied the Palestinians for nearly seven decades. The global community, especially the Arab and Muslim states, must lend their full support to the Palestinian unity government.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2017