New talks are set to be held between Fatah and Hamas in the Emirati city of Doha next week, according to a statement released on Thursday by National Relations Commissioner for Fatah’s Central Committee, Azzam al-Ahmad.
Al-Ahmad added that statements by the Hamas leader were not encouraging and highlighted his fears that the comments could hinder the reconciliation talks.
The meeting is the latest in a series of attempts to reconcile the two movements since they came into violent conflict in 2007, shortly after Hamas’ 2006 victory in general elections held in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian leadership has repeatedly failed to follow through on promises of reconciliation and holding of long-overdue elections, as both movements have frequently blamed each other for numerous political failures.
