Algeria, mediator between Hamas and Al-Fatah

Hamas and Al-Fatah will begin a new round of talks next month in Algeria. This was confirmed by the Palestinian ambassador in Algiers, Fayed Mohamed Mahmoud Abu Aita, and Wassel Abu Yousef, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). According to Abu Yousef, "the aim of resuming the reconciliation dialogue is to end the internal division and regain unity among Palestinians to confront the current Israeli policy", according to EFE.

Fifteen years on, the violent clashes of the summer of 2007 continue to provoke tensions and political divisions among Palestinians. The power struggles between the two factions began after Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian general elections and came to an end after the Islamist formation took full control of the Gaza Strip. Al-Fatah, the secular party and the main component of the PLO, retained the West Bank. 

Since then, Hamas and Al-Fatah have held several rounds of talks in different countries in the region, including Turkey, Syria and Egypt, with the aim of advancing this national dialogue. During negotiations in Cairo in 2017, both factions managed to sign an agreement to put an end to the internal Palestinian division, laying the foundations for reconciliation. However, differences between the factions hindered significant progress.

Algeria has been another nation that has positioned itself as a reliable mediator between Hamas and Fatah. Last July, on the occasion of Algeria's 60th independence anniversary festivities, leaders of the two factions met for the first time in years. Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune hosted the meeting between Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Algiers after years of rivalry.

Months later, the North African country is once again the venue for dialogue between Palestinian factions. In addition to Hamas and Fatah, 13 other factions are expected to take part in the talks, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a movement considered terrorist by several Western countries, just like Hamas.

For the Palestinian ambassador to Algiers, Fayed Mohamed Mahmoud Abu Aita, Algeria has "a key role in restoring balance in the region" because of "its important diplomatic action at the regional and international level", he told the Algerian news agency APS.

Abu Aita praised the Tebboune government's "courageous stance" in favour of the Palestinian cause and condemned the position of many Arab countries that "have broken the Arab consensus by changing their position on the Palestinian issue", referring to those nations that have chosen to normalise relations with Israel. 

Regarding the next round of talks between Palestinian factions, Abu Aita said that "efforts are being made" to achieve reconciliation. "Algeria will consult to ensure the success of this meeting, particularly before the next Arab summit," he said. A month after the Palestinian talks, Algeria will host the Arab League summit. "We Palestinians are looking forward to the outcome of this summit," he added.

PLO executive committee member Wassel Abu Yousef, meanwhile, told IANS that both Algeria and Egypt "coordinated and sponsored Palestinian reconciliation to ensure the success of reaching an agreement before the Arab summit".