'Hamas-Fatah deal to end divisions'

Palestinians celebrate the unity deal between Hamas and Fatah in the streets of the West Bank city of Hebron on May 6, 2011.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/179438.html

Nearly most Palestinians believe that Hamas-Fatah unity deal will heal the divisions among Palestinians, a new survey has revealed.

According to a survey conducted by the Qatar-based Aljazeera channel, 69 percent of respondent assume that the deal would end years of rifts among Palestinians while 31 percent believe in the opposite.

A total of 20,821 people took part in the survey.

The two key Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, signed a unity deal last week that calls for the formation of a joint interim government and the holding of presidential and legislative elections within a year.

The deal, however, does not rule on issues such as whether to recognize and negotiate with the Israeli regime.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Fatah, which rules the West Bank, have been at odds since the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in January 2006.

Differences between the rival groups peaked in June 2007 when Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in a bid to "foil a coup plot" by some Fatah elements.

Fatah in response sacked the Hamas government and set up a parallel cabinet in Ramallah.