Hamas warns of Palestinian reconciliation collapse

By AFP - Dec 21,2017 - Last updated at Dec 21,2017

A group of disabled Palestinians holding banners and posters stage a protest in front of UNESCO office, for 29-year-old disabled Palestinian Abraham Abu Sureyya who was martyred by the Israeli army during protests for Jerusalem in Gaza, on Thursday (Anadolu Agency photo)

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories — A senior leader in Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas warned on Thursday of the potential collapse of a reconciliation agreement made with political rivals Fateh.

"The reconciliation is collapsing and everyone must intervene to save it," Yahya Sinwar, the Gaza head of Hamas, told a meeting of young people.

"We took major steps to achieve reconciliation and we offered a lot of concessions, but the reconciliation is still in the same place."

Under an Egyptian-brokered deal Hamas was meant to hand over control of Gaza to the internationally recognised Palestinian government, which is dominated by Fateh, by December 10.

But the deadline passed and the Islamists still maintain control in the Palestinian enclave.

The Palestinian government, based in the West Bank, has assumed responsibility at checkpoints between Gaza and neighbours Israel and Egypt, but Hamas is still fully in control of the police and security apparatuses.

Fateh officials accused Hamas of refusing to give up real power, while Hamas said Fateh was not really committed to the process.

A key sticking point was the future of Hamas's vast armed wing.

Hamas seized control of Gaza in a 2007 near civil war.

The United Nations has warned failure of the reconciliation would risk another round of conflict.

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