The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority has agreed to form a unity government with rival organisation Hamas, Al Jazeera has learned.

The agreement was reached late on Tuesday after a three-day negotiation in the Russian capital, Moscow.

The two organisations will form a new National Council, which will include Palestinians in exile and hold elections.

"Today the conditions for [such an initiative] are better than ever," Azzam al-Ahmad, a senior Fatah official, said.

The deal also includes the Islamic Jihad group, which had not been involved in negotiations for a long time.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party and Hamas have been at loggerheads since the latter seized Gaza in a near civil war in 2007, after it won the 2006 legislative elections.

Last year the Palestinian government postponed the first municipal polls in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in 10 years after the high court ruled they should be held only in the Fatah-run West Bank.

The last time the Palestinians staged elections in which both Hamas and Fatah took part was in 2006.

The Palestinian representatives also met on Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and asked him to dissuade incoming US President Donald Trump from carrying out a campaign pledge to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

'Russian approach'

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Khaled Elgindy, a senior Brookings Institute fellow and former adviser on peace negotiations, said it is still not clear how different the latest agreement is to previous deals.

Elgindy said the "most important factor" prompting the unity agreement is the leadership change in Washington DC.

"President Abbas may be looking to shore up his domestic position, and to insulate himself from what he sees maybe as a very hostile administration coming into Washington," he said.

Al Jazeera's Natasha Ghoneim, reporting from Moscow, said the agreement in Russia signals the Palestinians "looking away" from the United States, which has been involved in the peace process for decades.

"Historically, peace discussions have been dominated by the US. They are looking for a different approach, and Russia certainly offered a different approach," she said.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian leader who is close to Hamas leadership told Al Jazeera that "things are far from clear or final yet".

"In principle, all of the Palestinian factions have agreed to form a national unity government, including Hamas, and to establish a new Palestinian National Council. But Abbas has yet to make a decision that will take concrete steps in that direction.”

"Abbas will also have to consider the position of the regional Arab powers who might cast a veto on the whole thing because of their animosity toward Hamas."

With reporting from Al Jazeera's Ali Younes. Follow him on Twitter @Ali_reports</s>Agreement reached after three days of talks in Moscow paving the way for the formation of a new National Council.

The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority has agreed to form a unity government with rival organisation Hamas, MWC News has learned.

The agreement was reached late on Tuesday after a three-day negotiation in the Russian capital, Moscow.

The two organisations will form a new National Council, which will include Palestinians in exile and hold elections.

"Today the conditions for [such an initiative] are better than ever," Azzam al-Ahmad, a senior Fatah official, said.

The deal also includes the Islamic Jihad group, which had not been involved in negotiations for a long time.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party and Hamas have been at loggerheads since the latter seized Gaza in a near civil war in 2007, after it won the 2006 legislative elections.

Last year the Palestinian government postponed the first municipal polls in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in 10 years after the high court ruled they should be held only in the Fatah-run West Bank.

The last time the Palestinians staged elections in which both Hamas and Fatah took part was in 2006.

The Palestinian representatives also met on Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and asked him to dissuade incoming US President Donald Trump from carrying out a campaign pledge to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

In an interview, Khaled Elgindy, a senior Brookings Institute fellow and former adviser on peace negotiations, said it is still not clear how different the latest agreement is to previous deals.

Elgindy said the "most important factor" prompting the unity agreement is the leadership change in Washington DC.

"President Abbas may be looking to shore up his domestic position, and to insulate himself from what he sees maybe as a very hostile administration coming into Washington," he said.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian leader who is close to Hamas leadership said that "things are far from clear or final yet".

"In principle, all of the Palestinian factions have agreed to form a national unity government, including Hamas, and to establish a new Palestinian National Council. But Abbas has yet to make a decision that will take concrete steps in that direction.”

"Abbas will also have to consider the position of the regional Arab powers who might cast a veto on the whole thing because of their animosity toward Hamas."</s>Leading Palestinian movements, Hamas and Fatah, have agreed to form a new unity government following extensive negotiations in Moscow, Russia.

The unity deal was announced late Tuesday, three days after the talks began under the Russian auspices among representatives from Ramallah-based Fatah as well as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both headquartered in the Gaza Strip, and other factions.

Russia has been working towards conflict resolution in the region as part of the Middle East Peace Quartet, also comprising the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.

Abbas, who leads Fatah, will be carrying out the consultations in his capacity as the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Moussa Abu Marzouk, the deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau, also described a unity government as “the most effective tool” to address divisions among Palestinian groups, adding that “it is responsible to promote the solutions, including the holding of free and democratic elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.”

The official noted that an agreement between Fatah and Hamas to achieve Palestinian unity is not considered a compromise by any means. The concept of unity, among all factions, is a win for all sides, rather than a loss, he said, adding, "Everybody will win.”

Fatah and Hamas have been at odds ever since the latter scored a landslide victory in Palestinian elections in 2006. Hamas governs the Gaza Strip, while Fatah has set up offices in the West Bank.

The factions agreed in April 2014 to end their grievances and reconcile. The move drew the Israeli officials’ ire, and the Tel Aviv regime consequently responded by suspending the so-called peace talks with the PA.

Following the agreement, the two sides formed a unity government, which Fatah unilaterally dissolved in June 2015, claiming it was “weak,” and that Hamas would not “allow it to work in Gaza.”

In line with the new arrangements, the Palestinian sides involved in the Moscow talks, including Islamic Jihad, will now join institutions under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and form a new Palestinian National Council.

The new council will select the PLO Executive Committee, the top political and diplomatic Palestinian body.

In another development on Monday, the Palestinian diplomats met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, asking Moscow to help dissuade US President-elect Donald Trump from fulfilling his campaign pledge to move Washington’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

“We sensed understanding on the part of Mr. Lavrov,” Ahmad said following the meeting.

Prior to the talks in the Russian capital, the Palestinian Authority had also asked Russia to intervene to stop the potential relocation of the US embassy in Israel.

The unity deal comes at a critical juncture amid growing international pressure on Israel over its occupation of Palestinian territories.

Israeli paper Haaretz quoted a Fatah official present at the Moscow talks as saying that “the unity government is of strategic importance for the Palestinians” given the recent peace conference in Paris, the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2334 criticizing the settlements as well as Trump’s election.</s>The governing bodies of the West Bank and Gaza Strip have agreed to bury their differences to form a unity government in order to finally hold delayed elections.

The secular Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, based in Ramallah, and Islamist militant group Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007, will form a new National Council including the Palestinian diaspora to hold elections.

“We have reached agreement under which, within 48 hours, we will call on [Palestinian Authority President] Mahmoud Abbas to launch consultations on the creation of a government” Fatah spokesperson Azzam al-Ahmad told media after three days of reconciliation talks in the Russian capital of Moscow concluded on Tuesday.

“Today the conditions for [the idea] are better than ever,” Mr Ahmad added.

Relations between Fatah and Hamas have been tense since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip a decade ago.

The first elections since 2007 were due to be held in 2016, but were delayed multiple times after legal complaints filed by various political actors and a high court ruling found elections could only be held in the West Bank.

The non-official Russian brokered talks also involved representatives from the Shia Islamic Jihad militant group, which has not been present at political talks in years.

While in Moscow, Palestinian representatives also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, asking him to pressure US President-Elect Donald Trump into reneging on a campaign promise to move the US Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The holy city is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians as their capital. East Jerusalem was annexed by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War in a move which is not recognised by the international community.

Citing the failure of the Madrid Quartet of the US, EU, UN and Russia to progress towards a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, spokesperson Ahmad Marzouk of Hamas said it is “imperative to find a new working mechanism” for any future peace talks.

Hamas wants to transition to working with individual organisations and countries in future, he said, adding “Russia can play a substantial role” in the region in future.</s>An agreement between rival groups Fatah and Hamas to form a unity government amounts to a major shift in Palestinian politics. As part of the deal, brokered by Russia, Palestinian institutions are to be expanded to include Hamas and another fundamentalist organisation, Islamic Jihad, both of which will join the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the Palestine National Council. The PLO has been the preserve of secular factions since its founding in 1964.

The December UN resolution calling for a halt to Israeli settlements and declaring them illegal, and the election of unpredictable Donald Trump to the US presidency, has given urgency to the quest for unity.

A newly elected council – to contain Palestinians from the diaspora as well as from the occupied territories – will select the PLO’s executive committee, the top Palestinian body. A deal has been on the Palestinian agenda since Hamas won the Palestinian legislative election in 2006, but Fatah and Hamas have repeatedly failed to agree on the package.

Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, leaving the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in control only of the West Bank.

Due to divisions within Fatah, the national council has not met since 1996. To achieve the agreement with Hamas, Fatah also had to end infighting over who should succeed octogenarian president Mahmoud Abbas. Former Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan has renounced his challenge and pledged to back intifada leader Marwan Barghout, who is imprisoned in Israel.

Moscow’s mediation has boosted Russia’s role in the Middle East ahead of talks on reinforcing the December 30th ceasefire between the Syrian government and insurgent factions, which are set to open in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on Monday.

Palestinian leaders need to close ranks at a time when their people are facing unprecedented challenges. The Palestinian cause, which once solidified the Arab front against Israel, has been marginalised since the Arab Spring in 2011, followed by the eruption of warfare in Syria, Libya and Yemen and the harsh clampdown on political activity in Egypt.

Israeli settlements and closed military areas have continued to occupy land that Palestinians demand for their state, while the international community has called, ineffectually, for implementation of a “two-state” solution involving the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Both Hamas and the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, based in Ramallah, have lost the support of their constituencies. Since Mr Abbas has been unable to secure a Palestinian state by peaceful means, Palestinian youths have begun attacking Israelis with knives and vehicles, igniting a sporadic “lone wolf” or “knife intifada” uprising in October 2015.

Hamas has failed to deliver food, fuel, security and clean governance to the coastal Gaza Strip. Gazans have recently demonstrated against Hamas over electricity being rationed to four hours a day due to lack of fuel for the power plant.

Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are squeezed by Israeli “restrictions on the movement of people and goods; systematic destruction of the productive base; losses of land, water and natural resources”, the UN Conference on Trade and Development reported last September. “Occupation imposed a heavy cost on the economy of the occupied Palestinian territory, which might otherwise reach twice its current size.”</s>Fatah and Hamas, the main Palestinian parties have announced that a deal to form a national unity government, prior to holding the elections, has been reached after three days of reconciliation talks in Moscow.

 

 "We have reached agreement under which, within 48 hours, we will call on [Palestinian leader] Mahmoud Abbas to launch consultations on the creation of a government," of national unity, said senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad speaking at a press conference.

 

 After the government is formed, Palestinians would set up a national council, which would also include Palestinians in exile, and hold elections. "Today the conditions for [such an initiative] were better than ever," said Ahmad.

 

 The unofficial talks mediated by Russia began in Moscow on Sunday, with the goal of restoring "unity of the Palestinian people." Representatives from Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other notable factions attended the meeting.

 

 Abbas' secular Fatah and the Islamist Hamas have been at loggerheads since the latter seized control of the Gaza Strip, in a near civil war back in 2007.

 

 Last year, the Palestinian government postponed its first municipal polls in the occupied West Bank and Gaza in 10 years, after the High Court ruled that they should be held only in the Fatah-run West Bank. The last time the Palestinians went to the polls in which both Hamas and Fatah took part, was in 2006.

 

 Fatah has been deeply divided from Hamas with multiple reconciliation attempts having failed. Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, has called repeatedly for taking steps to end the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

 

 The Palestinian representatives also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday and asked him to dissuade the incoming U.S. president Donald Trump from carrying out a campaign pledge to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

 

 "We sensed understanding on the part of Mr. Lavrov," said Ahmad.

 

 Azzam al-Ahmad Ahmad and Moussa Abu Marzouk of Hamas had spoken derisively of the Quartet, a group involving the U.S., Russia, the EU and U.N., in its years-long effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

 

 "The Quartet's work completely failed. It was unable to advance the decisions taken by the international community, including [U.N.] resolutions," said Ahmad.

 

 "It is imperative to find a new working mechanism for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," he said.

 

 Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, said he no longer wanted to work with the Quartet but instead with countries and organizations on an individual basis. "Russia can play a substantial role," in the region, he said.</s>After three days of talks in Moscow, the main Palestinian parties, Fatah, Hamas, and others on Tuesday evening announced deal to form a national unity government ahead of the upcoming municipal elections, after three days of talks in Moscow.

“We have reached an agreement under which, within 48 hours, we will call on (Palestinian leader) Mahmoud Abbas to launch consultations on the creation of a government” of national unity, senior Fatah official Azzam Ahmad told a press conference.

After the government is formed, the Palestinians would set up a national council, which would include Palestinians in exile, and hold elections. “Today the conditions for (such an initiative) are better than ever,” he added.

The division between the Palestinian parties began in 2006, when the Hamas movement won the elections in the Gaza strip and was ousted by Fatah.

The non-official Russian-mediated talks in Moscow began Sunday with the goal of restoring “the unity of the Palestinian people.” Representatives from Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other factions were present at the meetings over the weekend.

The last time the Palestinians staged elections in which both Hamas and Fatah took part was in 2006, after which Hamas won and formed a government.

In 2016, the Palestinian government postponed the first municipal elections in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in 10 years after the Supreme Court ruled they should be held only in the Fatah-run West Bank.</s>Hamas-Fatah Talks in Moscow Also Hope to Deter Trump From Moving US Embassy to Jerusalem

Russia is brokering reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah in Moscow; both ask for help with the new US president-elect.

Russian officials this week held unofficial reconciliation talks in Moscow between Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization and the Fatah faction that leads the Palestinian Authority government from Ramallah.

Moussa Abu Marzouk represented Hamas in Moscow at the talks.

Since Sunday the two sides discussed the possibility of forming – again – a national unity government prior to elections.

On Tuesday, Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad said in Arabic the two sides reached an agreement to, “within 48 hours” call on PA leader Mahmoud Abbas to launch “consultations on the creation of a [national unity] government.”

The two sides have made the same agreement several times before, and each time the “unity” falls apart when it comes to actually functioning as a unified government.

The two sides had no differences between them, however, when it came to asking Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to try to convince U.S. President-elect Donald Trump not to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“It is crucial to find a new working mechanism for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he added.

About the Author: Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.

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If you promote any foreign religions, gods or messiahs, lies about Israel, anti-Semitism, or advocate violence (except against terrorists), your permission to comment may be revoked.</s>Moscow: The main Palestinian parties on Tuesday announced a deal to form a national unity government prior to the holding of elections, after three days of reconciliation talks in Moscow.

"We have reached agreement under which, within 48 hours, we will call on (Palestinian leader) Mahmoud Abbas to launch consultations on the creation of a government" of national unity, senior Fatah official Azzam Al Ahmad told a press conference, speaking in Arabic.

After the government is formed, the Palestinians would set up a national council, which would include Palestinians in exile, and hold elections.

"Today the conditions for (such an initiative) are better than ever," said Al Ahmad.

The non-official talks in Moscow began on Sunday under Russian auspices with the goal of restoring "the unity of the Palestinian people." Representatives came from Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other factions.

Abbas's secular party Fatah and Hamas have been at loggerheads since the latter seized Gaza in a near civil war in 2007.

Last year, the Palestinian government postponed the first municipal polls in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in 10 years after the high court ruled they should be held only in the Fatah-run West Bank.

The last time the Palestinians staged elections in which both Hamas and Fatah took part was in 2006.

The Palestinian representatives also met on Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and asked him to dissuade incoming US president Donald Trump from carrying out a campaign pledge to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Occupied Jerusalem.

"We sensed understanding on the part of Mr Lavrov," said Al Ahmad.

Al Ahmad and Moussa Abu Marzouk of Hamas spoke derisively of the Quartet — the United States, Russia, the EU and UN — in its years-long effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"The Quartet’s work completely failed. It was unable to advance the decisions taken by the international community, including (UN) resolutions," said Al Ahmad.

"It is imperative to find a new working mechanism for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," he said.

Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, said he no longer wanted to work with the Quartet but instead with countries and organisations on an individual basis.

"Russia can play a substantial role" in the region, he said.</s>After months of long talks and extensive negotiations, the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority and Hamas, which have ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, have plans to form a united coalition, according to news agency reports. The Russian-brokered agreement could change the course of the Palestinian struggle against Israel as the number of Palestinian homes being demolished steadily increases. The move points to the increasingly significant role Russia plays in the outcome of fragile issues in the region.



After three days of negotiations in Moscow, both parties declared they had reached an agreement and that a new National Council would be formed that would include Palestinians who had been exiled. The council is expected to be on the voting ticket in June elections. Since 2006, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's al-Fatah and Hamas have been engaged in fighting after Hamas won the elections in Gaza; thus increasing the unlikelihood of a unified Palestine. The two sides have a bloody history, having imprisoned dozens for alleged links to rival parties. Namely, in 2007, deadly clashes erupted among party sympathizers after Hamas won the elections in Gaza, as seen in the deadly clashes between party sympathizers in 2007 following the Hamas victory in the Gaza elections. of 2007 which brought an end to al-Fatah's rule.



Hamas is considered a terror organization by the U.S. and Israel, while al-Fatah is the most favored Palestinian faction. After talks regarding a unified government attempt in 2014 failed in less than a year, doubts emerged over the future of the national coalition. However, senior al-Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmed reportedly said: "Today the conditions for [such an initiative] are better than ever."



There are some remarkable points which explain why it happened now and is better than ever. First, Russia is the broker for the talks. Contrary to the U.S., Russia does not consider Hamas a red line and is open to contact with the group. For instance, Al-Jazeera's Moscow correspondent Natasha Ghoneim said, "Historically, peace talks have been dominated by the U.S. They are looking for a different approach and Russia certainly offered it." Moreover, for the first time, thanks to the good relations between Moscow and Tehran, the Iranian-backed Islamic jihadists were also involved in the negotiations.



Secondly, it is noteworthy that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly said he will move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, which is under occupation according to the U.N. In efforts to abate internal disputes, the two parties had to reach an agreement to overcome the pressure brought by the Trump administration.



Thirdly, Gaza-born al-Fatah member Mohammad Dahlan was also involved in the talks and it is a well-known fact that he is effective on both sides. Dahlan is a popular figure across the region as he has joined peace talks for Syria in Cairo last March, participating in a meeting organized by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 2015 and appearing on several TV channels, presenting himself as a man who could save the region. His animosity against Turkey was made clear with his relentless attacks on Turkey and criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan which he voices any chance he gets. It is clear that Dahlan is supported by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, both of which are disappointed by Turkey's active role in the region. Dahlan received Serbian citizenship in 2013 after promising Belgrade to bring millions of dollars' worth of investments. According to the Balkan Insight last July, "In February 2015, Ivica Dacic, then Serbia's foreign minister, confirmed that Serbia had granted Dahlan citizenship in 2013. Dahlan reportedly promised Serbia millions of dollars in investments from the UAE, where he had been living since 2011."



The unification may help Palestine as Hamas, one of the main parties of Palestine, has always been excluded from peace talks despite Israel's explicit aggression towards Gaza. Yet, it is still difficult to consider a unified government in Palestine or for how long the National Council will last. However, it is a fact that Russia has become the major player in negotiations.
The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority agrees to form a unity government with Hamas following a three-day delegation in Moscow.