Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party and Hamas have signed a unity accord.
Under the agreement signed Wednesday, the factions are to form a unity government in five weeks, according to reports citing Palestinian officials. Fatah and Hamas representatives met from Tuesday to early Wednesday morning in Gaza.
[Abbas: Unity with Hamas does not contradict peace talks with Israel]
Amid reports of the accord, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Abbas must choose between peace with Israel or Hamas, the Islamist organization that runs the Gaza Strip. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union.
“Instead of moving into peace with Israel, he’s moving into peace with Hamas,” Netanyahu said of Abbas. “He has to choose: Does he want peace with Hamas or peace with Israel? You can have one but not the other. I hope he chooses peace; so far he hasn’t done so.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said Wednesday in response to the agreement that it would be impossible for Fatah to have peace with Israel while allying with Hamas.
“If Abbas signs a unity government agreement with Hamas, he is signing the end of negotiations between Israel and the P.A.,” Liberman said.
The two sides had formed a unity government in 2006 that lasted about one year.
Israel canceled a planned session of peace negotiations with the Palestinians shortly after the unity deal was signed.
A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said: “Israel has canceled a negotiations meeting that was expected to be held this evening,” without providing further detail.
Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Editing by Angus MacSwan
