Until a year ago, the Middle East peace process involved two parties-the governments of Israel and the Palestinians. But since Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006, the Palestinian side has been split into two factions, Hamas and Fatah, leading to power struggles that have caused violence and upheaval in the Palestinian territories and complicated the prospects for peace with Israel.

The battles between the two factions have been unceasing. But now the Palestinians appear to realize that in order to settle the regional conflict the disputes between Hamas and Fatah must be settled first. Under these circumstances, the two factions agreed to meet in the Islamic holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on February 7 to try to resolve their disagreements.

The Fatah delegation included Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as senior leaders Rawhi Fattouh, Brig. Gen. Nasser Yousef and Mohamed Dahlan; Azzam el-Ahmad, the head of the Fatah bloc in the Palestinian Legislative Council; and Nabil Amr, Abbas’ media adviser.

The Hamas delegation was headed by Khaled Mashaal, the leader of Hamas; Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya; Foreign Minister Mahmoud Al-Zahar; and Government Spokesman Ghazi Hamad.

At the Mecca meeting, Hamas and Fatah agreed to form four separate committees to facilitate reaching a final and comprehensive agreement, said el-Ahmad.

The committees are tasked with forming a national unity government, reinforcing the political partnership, deepening reconciliation and ending tension and reestablishing the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

During the opening ceremony, leaders of both movements asserted that they were determined to reach an agreement on forming a national unity government.

Pledge of persistence

Abbas and Mashaal had announced before their meeting that they wouldn’t leave before they reached an agreement.

“There is no choice left for us except to agree. We will never leave Mecca before we reach an agreement on forming a national unity government,” Abbas said, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Mashaal, meanwhile, said, “We really came here to agree. I want to assure our people that we won’t leave this holy place before we agree.”

“Those issues will be tackled if true intentions and a strong will are available among the conferees,” Haniya said prior to leaving the Gaza Strip for the meetings, adding “we wish to reach a deal easing the tension and healing the wounds and boosting a partnership to lead the people in their struggle with the occupation.”

Right after Hamas won legislative elections a year ago, the United States and European Union (EU) terminated direct assistance to the Palestinian Government. Before that, the United States branded Hamas a terrorist organization because of its violent opposition to Israel.

The United States and the EU set three conditions for a resumption of aid and contact-acknowledging Israel’s right to exist, rejecting violence and accepting the agreements the previous Palestinian governments signed with Israel. Hamas has rejected all the conditions, and thus has much less international support.

Over the past year, the violent power struggle between Hamas and Fatah has escalated, causing severe economic and social hardship for the Palestinians and bringing Palestine to the brink of civil war.

In late January, fighting between the two factions killed over 60 people, making the month the bloodiest period since Hamas came to power. According to statistics from a Palestinian human rights organization, at least 200 people lost their lives during the month due to the armed disputes between Fatah and Hamas.

Now, the two sides appear to realize that they must end the situation. Hamas may need Fatah’s experience in governing a country and altering its international image as an extremist group, while Fatah wants to regain power and curb Hamas’s extremist stance.

Differences between the moderate agenda of the once-dominant Fatah and the program of the governing Hamas have blocked the two movements from reaching a deal to form a coalition government. And the two sides have different ideas about a joint government.

One major problem between them is whether Hamas should recognize Israel and accept the previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements. The other is the distribution of power between the two parties.

Analysts note that currently there are two Palestinian power centers. Each has its own security forces and supporters, and neither wants to share power.

Although both sides have agreed to several ceasefires, the agreements have broken down. Now, at least, both parties have said they want to talk.

A last-ditch effort

Prior to the Mecca talks, Nabil Amr, Abbas’ media adviser, warned that there would be a last-ditch effort. If they failed, the Palestinian president would adhere to his previous threat to call for early parliamentary elections. Therefore, the Mecca meeting is the last opportunity for Hamas; if no agreement is signed there, it will have to face an election, in which Hamas is likely to lose. Thus, Hamas must give up some of its power to keep its administration.

If the two sides can reach an agreement on forming a unity government and reestablish domestic security, peace talks with Israel may be possible, analysts said. There was optimism about the meeting both domestically and internationally.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement expressed the view that the talks would end the crisis in the Palestinian territories, although it insisted that it would not participate in any Palestinian government as long as the Israeli occupation continues.

Saudi King Abdullah reiterated to the Hamas delegation that it is necessary for both parties to end their differences and reach an agreement on all the pending issues. A Xinhua report said, “The king promised that his country would offer the help needed to reach an agreement.”

Due to the war in Lebanon last summer and the ongoing fighting in Gaza, as well as the sex scandal involving President Moshe Katsav, the Israeli Government faces a hard time, which may make peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians more feasible, analysts said.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on February 6 that he would hold a three-way meeting with Abbas and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on February 19, Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported, though it did not disclose where the meeting would take place.

According to Ha’aretz, Olmert also said that he hoped Abbas would not forge a unity government with Hamas that fell short of meeting Western demands to recognize Israel and renounce violence.

The Quartet, grouping the United States, the United Nations, the EU and Russia, held a foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington several days before the Mecca talks, calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state while renewing support for international sanctions against the Hamas-led Palestinian Government.

China’s influence also has been welcomed in the region. A statement by the Israeli and Palestinian delegations to a forum in Beijing on February 2 called for China to join the Quartet. With its unique status, China can increase its influence in the Middle East and contribute to advancing peace in the region, the statement said.

Sun Bigan, China’s special envoy on the Middle East issue, said China has done a lot for the Middle East peace process within the UN framework and in other international forums. “Although China is out of the Quartet mechanism, we have played a constructive role in the Middle East issue with our own influence and manner,” Sun said. n