Gaza City — Awaiting official endorsement by Fatah and Hamas leaders of the recently-struck Palestinian reconciliation deal, droves of Palestinians gathered on Wednesday in Gaza City’s Unknown Soldier Square to celebrate the previously elusive accord.
The yellow flags of Fatah mixed once again with the green flags of Hamas at the rally, in symbolic representation of the mending of ties between two erstwhile rivals.
For the first time since a bloody schism erupted between the two prominent Palestinian factions in 2007 — following Hamas’ forcible ouster of Fatah security and personnel from the Gaza Strip — pro-Fatah Gazans were permitted to play their party songs and pro-Fatah media operated freely.
In accordance with the Egyptian-brokered agreement, a technocratic government will soon be formed to govern the two territories. The deal also tentatively designates public elections for a year’s time.
The interim government will be tasked with assigning committees to address election and security concerns.
For many Palestinians, the rapprochement is a mandatory initial step to confront the Israeli “occupation.” Palestinians in the West Bank are detached from other Palestinian communities by ubiquitous Israeli checkpoints and settlements. And Gazans continue to languish under a harsh economic siege and endemic violence.
The accord enables Palestinians to lobby as a unified front for international recognition of statehood before the United Nations in September.
"I believe unity will definitely lead us to liberate Palestine and have a stable life," said Nihal al-Alami, 20, one of the celebrators.
Al-Alami also says reconciliation enables Palestinians to re-engage in democratic life after months of postponed elections.
"I feel great. I will finally vote!" she said.
Al-Alami attributed a portion of the impetus behind the deal to the pro-democracy movement sweeping the region.
"I was sure that President Mubarak in office was one of the main reasons for not achieving the process of unity," said Al-Alami.
Analysts say the ouster of Mubarak, a stalwart supporter of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party, and political upheaval in Syria, a primary backer of Hamas, enabled the accord to be struck.
But some members of the international community flatly denounced the pact in recent days. The United States and European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organization and say they will not deal with a Palestinian government that includes the group.
International mediator Tony Blair said the new government must recognize Israel, a step Hamas has always rejected.
And Israeli officials say Hamas is intent on the destruction of the Israeli state and is, therefore, not an acceptable negotiating partner.
"What happened today in Cairo is a tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters in London on Wednesday. “Those who want to eliminate us, those who practice terror against us, are not partners for peace.”
West Bank-based Fatah spokesman Ahmed Assaf claims rapprochement serves the Israeli objective of continuing to deny Palestinians statehood.
"Israel might use the reconciliation as a pretext for not negotiating with Palestinians anymore…as it used to use division as an obstacle as well,” Assaf said. “It's not concerned about peace process at all."
Ismail Radwan, a Hamas official, dismissed Israeli reactions to the deal.
"Hamas doesn't pay attention if Israel accepts or rejects,” Radwan told Al-Masry Al-Youm, while warning the caretaker government against going back to the "unfruitful negotiation with Israel."
The new Palestinian government will be a temporary and technocratic one without political background, according to political analyst Naji Shurrab. Israel, Shurrab says, should not worry about its objectives.
"The interim government has two main tasks; first, it should pave the way before a total reconciliation and holding public elections,” said Shurrab. “Second, it should build a strategy for Gaza's reconstruction due to the damage Israel caused the in 2008-09 war."
But, according to Shurrab, the new government faces significant challenges, including the fundamental principles behind its formation.
"A government can't be formed without a political background,” Shurrab said. “It's supposed to follow a specific policy dealing with US and Israel."
"If the next government recognizes Israel, the parliament, most of its member from Hamas, won't give it trusteeship which represents a second main trouble. Moreover, it will face US and Israeli pressure, economical issues and societal reconciliation."
Shurrab referred to the security in the Gaza Strip as another substantial obstacle.
"It can't be solved by simply getting those who left their work in the former pro-Fatah authority in Gaza back to offices,” Shurrab said. “They still need rehabilitation and the security forces need to be reformed as it was established under division so they are factional; they need to be national."
Abed Aref, 40, an employee with the former naval police in Gaza doesn’t envision return to work as a plausible outcome in the near future.
"I think that the new government will form new security forces,” he said. “It can't be enough for all the former employees to go back to work."
Shurrab says the new Palestinian government can avoid international isolation through renouncing violence and permitting the PLO to unilaterally deal with a potential resumption of negotiations with Israel.
But despite the impediments that remain and the oustanding issues that must be resolved, Palestininans in Gaza welcome the task that lies ahead.
"I believe that we need a deep faith to get the mission totally accomplished,” said Rowan Abu Shahla, a 20-year-old student who waved a Palestinian flag at the celebration. “There's a lot of tension and many obstacles already, but I still believe we can do it; this time is totally different, it's the time of our choice."
