Preparations are underway for a massive unity rally between Hamas and Fatah, which is said to be the first of its kind since the two Palestinian factions clashed in the summer of 2007.
News of the rally was first reported in the official Palestinian news agency WAFA last Monday quoting Fatah Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub.
Rajoub had said that the unity rally “will be a historic point in consolidating the united Palestinian position in the face of the annexation project,” referring to Israel’s plan to annex nearly 30% of the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
For his part, a leading member in Hamas political bureau Khalil al-Hayya, said that Hamas’ leader Ismail Haniyeh will be speaking at the upcoming rally.
“This is a message to all sides. We are stressing the unified position of our people in all its factions and forces, wherever they are located, against the annexation plan,” Hayya said.
Another meeting is expected to take place between top leaders of Hamas and Fatah in the coming days. The first meeting was held on July 2. The purpose of the second meeting is to agree on the final details, logistics and main message of the rally, a Fatah spokesman, Iyad Nasr, told the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper.
Nasr said that the rally must succeed and conclude with a message that demonstrates the united front of Hamas, Fatah and the entire Palestinian people, which adamantly rejects Israeli occupation plans to steal more Palestinian land.
Fatah is “keen to mobilize a massive popular participation in the rally, that reflects the degree of popular anger and rejection of all attempts that are aimed at suffocating the Palestinian dream of establishing an independent state.”
Fatah’s spokesman referred to Hamas’ political discourse regarding unity as “positive”.
Hamas is “genuine in moving towards building a fundamental strategy that aims at reorganizing the Palestinian home and rebuilding the political structure around a unified liberation strategy that is agreed upon by everyone,” Nasr also said.
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